| ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK, Western
Pacific -- USS
kitty hawk (CV-63) hosted the chairman of Japan's joint staff council and the chief of
staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, while conducting regularly scheduled training
exercises in the Western Pacific Feb. 27-28. Gen. Yuji Fujinawa and Adm.
Kosei Fujita were among nine Japanese distinguished visitors to make the overnight visit
on board Kitty Hawk.
Also among the group were members of the Kanagawa
prefectural assembly and the general's and admiral's aides. Kanagawa prefecture is
home to U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka and Naval Air Facility Atsugi. the visitors made an
arrested landing at 3 p.m., Feb. 27 on Kitty Hawk's flight deck in a C-2
"Greyhound" aircraft flown by Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30, assigned to
Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5), Kitty Hawk's embarked air wing.
While on board, the visitors were briefed on the
Kitty Hawk battle group's capabilities by Rear Adm. Timothy J. Keating, Commander Battle
Force Seventh Fleet, and watched flight operations by the pilots of CVW-5.
The embark was one of a several aboard Kitty Hawk
by Japanese military, government and community leaders and American business leaders
during the current underway period.
"It's immeasurable how much good these
visits do for us," said Kitty Hawk's commanding officer Capt. Matthew Tuohy.
USS Kitty Hawk operates out of Yokosuka as
America's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier. Carrier Air Wing 5,
commanded by Capt. Doug McClain, is forward deployed to Atsugi, and is permanently
assigned to Kitty Hawk.
-USN-
|
