Helicopter crew from Guadalcanal Rescues Three Fishermen

January 25, 1990 – A helicopter crew from Guadalcanal rescued three fishermen after their boat went under three miles off Cape Henry, Va.

Navy Helicopters Respond to Merchant Ship Distress Call

January 25, 1990- HSL-45 Detachment 10; HSL-33 Detachment 3; and HSL-35 Detachment 1 responded to a distress call from the Chinese merchant vessel Hauzhu, reported to be sinking 40 miles off the northern coast of the Philippines. Nineteen crewmembers were recovered.

SH-2G helicopter was Introduced

March 21, 1990 – The SH-2G helicopter was introduced at a flyout ceremony at the Kaman Aerospace Corporation’s production facility in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The SH-2G was an upgraded version of the SH-2F helicopter, which was part of the LAMPS MK I. Improvements included a sonobuoy data processing system, changes in the tactical navigation system, more powerful engines, composite rotor blades, an infrared target detection system and several countermeasures systems.

HS-2 Receives First SH-60F Helicopter

March 27, 1990 – HS-2 became the first Navy squadron to receive the SH-60F inner-zone combat aircraft for operational deployment with the fleet at a ceremony at NAS North Island, Calif. The SH-60F, made by Sikorsky, was a derivative of the SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS MK III helicopter.

First Ship Launch of the SLAM

June 26, 1990 – The first ship launch of the SLAM was conducted from a Harpoon canister aboard the guided missile cruiser Lake Champlain (CG 57). The launch was controlled from a LAMPS MK III helicopter, with video images downlinked to the ship’s command information center via the helicopter’s Walleye data link pod. The test was conducted at Pacific Missile Test Center’s sea test range.

Large Earthquake Strikes the Philippines

July 16, 1990 – The largest earthquake to strike the Philippines in 14 years rocked Manila and left many northern areas of Luzon destroyed. Marine helicopters assigned to Marine Corps Air Group Task Force 4-90 of HMM-164 (C) hauled food, water and medical supplies. CH-46E, CH-53D, and CH-53E helicopters were used for transports, while searches for survivors were conducted by UH-1N and AH-1W helicopters and OV-10 observation planes. Navy SH-3G helicopters assigned to VC-5 at NAS Cubi Point also flew re-supply and medical missions. VC-5 helicopters delivered cement-cutting saws and trained operators in rescue parties to help free victims trapped in the rubble.

HC-9 Disestablished

July 31, 1990 – HC-9, the Navy’s only combat search and rescue helicopter unit, was disestablished. Its mission passed to two Navy Reserve special operations squadrons: HCS-5 at Point Mugu, Calif., and HCS-4 at NAS Norfolk, Va. HC-9 had been established in August 1975.

Operation Sharp Edge

August 5, 1990 – January 9, 1991 – Operation Sharp Edge was authorized by the State Department on 5 August to evacuate noncombatants caught in the civil war in Liberia. Saipan and other ships were stationed off the Liberian coast. Marines from 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit were flown into the American embassy compound in Monrovia, Liberia. The MEU’s air combat element, HMM-261 (C), was comprised of CH-46E’s from HMM-261, CH-53Ds from HMH-362, UH-1Ns and AH-1Ts from HMLA-167, and AV-8Bs fromVMA-223. On 28 November a cease-fire was accepted by the opposing Liberian factions and on 30 November the limited evacuation of noncombatants from Monrovia terminated, with a total of 2,609 evacuated, including 330 U.S. citizens. Operation Sharp Edge concluded on 9 January 1991.

Maritime Intercept Operation Against Iraq and Iran

August 16, 1991 – Consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 661, a multinational maritime intercept operation involving Naval Aviation forces began intercepting ships going to or from Irag and Kuwait.

Marine Corps Looses Two Hueys at Sea

October 8, 1991 – The two U.S. Marine Corps UH-1N Huey helicopters based on the amphibious assault ship Okinawa in the Gulf of Oman disappeared with eight men aboard during “routine night training operations.” No survivors were found

Marines Board Iraqi Merchant

October 28, 1991 – U.S. Marines from the amphibious transport ship Ogden (LPD 5) boarded the Iraqi vessel Amuriyah, bound for Iraq through the Gulf. The vessel refused to halt despite summons from U.S. and Australian ships. The allied ships fired shots across Amuriyah’s bow and warplanes from Independence buzzed low in warning passes. The Marine boarding party found no banned cargo and the Iraqi craft was allowed to proceed.

1991-1995

1991-1995
The first half of the 1990s has been characterized by changes in the world order, containment of localized fighting and a revamped naval strategy. As 1991 began, the 15 January deadline for the UN-ordered withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait neared; and U.S. aircraft carriers advanced to locations near the Persian Gulf. On 16 January, (the night of 17 January in the Middle East), Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at pre-programmed targets by nine U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and Red Sea; just in time to be shown on the evening news. Later that same evening, President George H. W. Bush addressed the nation and announced that the liberation of Kuwait had begun and a massive armada of naval, air force and Allied aircraft struck targets in Iraq.

The Gulf War was short and on 27 February, President Bush declared that Kuwait had been liberated. However, UN economic sanctions against Iraq remained in effect. Naval Aviation was actively involved in patrolling Iraq during the remainder of the first half of the decade.

In August 1991, an attempted coup triggered the dissolution of the Soviet Union into its component republics. On 25 December 1991, Mikkail Gorbachev formally resigned as president of a Soviet Union that no longer existed.

The new global situation called for the downsizing of the Navy’s personnel and material. With the Soviet Union no longer a threat, the Clinton administration supported a smaller defense budget. For Naval Aviation it was the largest drawdown since WW II. Many aviation squadrons and naval shore facilities were disestablished, reorganized or consolidated.

The break-up of the composite state of Yugoslavia into its constituent republics presented the first major challenge to the Navy’s “…From the Sea” strategy. In a referendum in the spring of 1992, a majority of those in the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina voted for independence from the remains of Yugoslavia. The Bosnian Serbs reacted by proclaiming that the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina was a constituted part of Yugoslavia, now only consisting of Serbia and Montenegro. Fighting broke out between the Serbs, Croats, and Slavic Moslems in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the republic was divided along ethnic lines.

Along the coastline of Bosnia-Herzegovina, aircraft carriers kept watch over the situation from the Adriatic Sea and provided support for Operation Provide Promise-the United Nations relief effort-and Operations Deny Flight, which monitored the air space over Bosnia-Herzegovina to prevent the warring parties from using it in warfare.

On 30 August 1995, aircraft from Theodore Roosevelt carried out the initial early morning strikes that began Operation Deliberate Force, action against Serb military targets in Bosnia.

The Dayton Accords, signed in Paris in December 1995, by the Bosnian Federation and the Bosnian Serbs, brought a hope for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Operation Joint Endeavor enforced the military aspects of this peace by providing a stable environment in which the civil aspects could proceed.

The initial half of the 1990s marked a first for women in the Navy by dropping most of the restrictions that prohibited women from engaging in aerial and naval combat. In October 1994, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first aircraft carrier to deploy with women permanently assigned on board.

HC-4 Relocated its Detachment from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

January 1, 1991 – HC-4 relocated its detachment from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Hurghada, Egypt, constructed an airhead operating site within 48 hours, and began transporting passengers, cargo, and mail to the Red Sea battle groups during Operation Desert Shield.

Marines Inserted to US Embassy in Somalia By Helicopter

January 2-5, 1991 – CH-53E helicopters from Guam helped insert Marines into the U.S. Embassy compound in Mogadishu, Somalia, during Operation Eastern Exit, which rescued U.S. Ambassador James K. Bishop, the Soviet ambassador, and other foreign nationals caught in the Somali civil war.

Amphibious Group Three arrives on station in the Arabian Sea

January 12 – Amphibious Group Three (with the Fifth Marine Expeditionary Brigade embarked) arrived on station in the Arabian Sea. Eighteen ships, including Okinawa, Tarawa, Tripoli and New Orleans were to join the 13-ship Amphibious Group Three, to comprise the largest amphibious task force since the Korean War.

Nicholas' HSL-44 (Det 8) SH-60Bs Provides Air Targeting

January 18, 1991 – Nicholas’ HSL-44 (Det 8) SH-60Bs provided air targeting while a Kuwaiti patrol boat, two Army helicopter gunships, and Nicholas (FFG 47) engaged and neutralized Iraqi forces on nine oil platforms in the Durrah oil field. The Iraqi forces were manning antiaircraft artillery sites on the platforms. This was the first combined helicopter, missile, and surface ship gun engagement of the war and resulted in the destruction of the positions and capture of the first Iraqi prisoners of wars.

Tripoli Sustains Damage During Mine Clearance Operations

February 18, 1991 – An Iraqi mine blasted a 20-by-30 foot hole in the forward section of the 18,000-ton helicopter carrier Tripoli during mine clearance operations in the northern Persian Gulf. After continuing her duty for five days, Tripoli, the flagship of the minesweeping operation, returned to a shipyard drydock in Bahrain for a month of repairs.

Lemoore SAR Saves 19 Year Old Male Missing Five Days

February 23, 1991 – The SAR team from NAS Lemoore, Calif., saved a 19-year-old male who had been missing for five days. He was found on a 6,000-foot elevation in very rocky terrain at the southern edge of Sequoia National Park. The SAR team was called in to assist the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

CH-46 Helicopters with Loudspeakers Rounded Up Surrendering Iraqi Troops

March 3, 1991 – CH-46 helicopters with loudspeakers rounded up surrendering Iraqi troops on Faylaka Island. The enemy prisoners of war were ferried by helicopter to Ogden (LPD 5) for further transport to Saudi prisoner of war facilities.

USS New Orleans Leads Mine Sweeping Operations in Arabian Sea

March 6, 1991 – New Orleans, with a mine-countermeasures squadron on board and four mine-countermeasures ships, led minesweeping activities.

War is Over

March 6, 1991 – President George H. W. Bush reported to a joint session of Congress, “Aggression is defeated. The war is over.”

HC-4 Flies Secretary of State

April 8, 1991 – Having left from both NAS Sigonella, Sicily, and Hurghada, Egypt, for Diyarbakir, Turkey, on April 6, HC-4 detachments flew Secretary of State James A. Baker III and his party of 60 along the border between Turkey and civil war-torn Iraq to a remote Kurdish refugee camp. A popular uprising in Kurdistan had taken place in March against Saddam Hussein, but the Iraqi forces quickly recaptured the main towns and cities of Kurdistan. The Iranians had allowed the Kurds to flee into their country, but the Turks had not, and the Kurds were stranded in the mountains in the cold.

HC-4 SupportsOperation Provide Comfort.

April 9, 1991 – HC-4 returned to Incirlik, Turkey, to become the primary and first helicopter combat logistics support asset for Operation Provide Comfort. The squadron delivered massive amounts of relief aid to Kurdish refugees and flew needy people to safe havens.

NAVAIR established the HH-1N Designation

April 15, 1991 – NAVAIR established the HH-1N designation for many of the H-1 Huey helicopters. The re-designation was to be completed by 30 September.

Tarawa Leads Large-Scale Relief Effort in Bangladesh

May 12, 1991 – Eight ships of an amphibious assault group headed by Tarawa arrived to begin a large-scale relief effort in Bangladesh, which had been devastated by a cyclone on 30 April. During Operation Sea Angel, CH-53 Sea Stallions, CH-46 Sea Knights, UH-1N Iroquois and AH-1T Sea Cobras carried food, medical supplies, and rescued people who had been isolated by the floods.

Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines Erupts

June 12-27, 1991 – After rumbling for three days, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines began erupting. Subic Bay Naval Complex suffered major damage. Abraham Lincoln with CVW-11 aboard; Midway and her battle group; plus three ships from the Amphibious Readiness Group Alpha, led by Peleliu, participated in Operation Fiery Vigil to evacuate the disaster victims. VFA-94, HSL-47, and VC-5 were among those who assisted with the effort.

VP-4 and Coast Guard SAR Mission

June 18-19, 1991 – VP-4, in combination with the Coast Guard, carried out a SAR mission and saved two men and one woman who had been forced to ditch from their Grumman Albatross seaplane, approximately 600 miles east of Oahu.

Engine Fire Leads to Shoot Down of E-2C and Rescue of Crew

July 8, 1991 – An E-2C Hawkeye from Norfolk, Va., based VAW-122 aboard Forrestal was ordered to be shot down after suffering an engine fire that could not be extinguished. All five aircrewmen parachuted from the aircraft and were recovered within minutes by helicopters from Forrestal and Yorktown (CG 48). The incident occurred during a routine flight in support of Operation Provide Comfort.

SH-60F Introduced on East Coast

August 27, 1991 – A ceremony at NAS Jacksonville, Fla., marked the introduction of the SH-60F Seahawk into operational service with the Atlantic Fleet. HS-3 was the first East Coast squadron to trade its SH-3H Sea Kings for the new helicopter.

USS New Orleans Arrives Home From War

August 2, 19917 – The last U.S. Navy participants of the Persian Gulf War arrived home, including New Orleans, with HMM-268 embarked.

Navy Aviation Units Provide Firefighting Assistance in Bay Area

October 20-23, 1991 – Naval Aviation units based in the San Francisco Bay area at NAS Alameda, NAS Moffett Field, and NS Treasure Island provided assistance to the fire-fighting efforts during the fire in the Oakland-Berkeley, Calif., area. HS-85 provided airlift support with SH-3s. Reservists were put on alert.

HS-9 Recues Three Commerical Fisherman

November 9, 1991 – Two HS-9 helicopter crews of CVW-17 assigned to Saratoga rescued three commercial fishermen from their sinking boat 50 miles off Mayport, Fla. A Coast Guard helicopter saved a fourth. The fishermen were taken aboard Saratoga for medical care.

HSL-37 Transitions to SH-60B

February 6, 1992 – A ceremony at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii, marked the beginning of HSL-37’s transition from SH-2F Seasprite helicopter to the SH-60B.

Marine and Navy CH-53s Help Move Materials to Block Lava Flow

March 13-25, 1992 – In response to a request from Italian authorities to save the town of Zafferana from a lava flow advancing from Mount Etna, two Marine CH-53E Super Stallions from HMM(C)-226 aboard Inchon augmented by a CH-53E from Sigonella-based HC-4 placed 8000-pound concrete blocks in the path of the lava. As geologists had hoped, the concrete forced open another lava vent further down the mountain away from the town.

Helicopter Sea Control Wing 3 was Redesignated

July 1, 1992 – Helicopter Sea Control Wing 3 was redesignated Helicopter Antisubmarine Light Wing 1 absorbing Helicopter Sea Control Wing 1 at the same time, placing all Atlantic Fleet Helicopter Antisubmarine Light squadrons (HSLs) under one wing.

V-22A Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Crashed into the Potomac River on Approach to MCAF Quantico

July 20, 1992 – The fourth prototype of the V-22A Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed into the Potomac River on approach to MCAF Quantico, Va., killing three Marines and four Boeing employees. The remaining three prototypes were grounded pending the results of the mishap investigation. The mishap was blamed on mechanical failure.

DOD Looking at Less Expensive Tilt Rotor Aircraft

August 5, 1992 – The Pentagon announced that it would ask contractors to develop a less expensive version of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

Hurricane Andrew

August 22-26, 1992 – Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive natural disaster ever to strike the U.S., ravaged the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana, leveling Homestead AFB, Fla. Naval Aviation units were called into action to help relieve the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Navy ships with supplies and repair capabilities steamed from East Coast ports for Florida.

Typhoon Omar Devastates Guam

August 28, 1992 – Typhoon Omar devastated Guam. Joint Task Force Marianas coordinated the relief efforts of all the military services. Naval Aviation units involved in relief efforts included NAS Agana, Guam, HC-5, VRC-50, VQ-1, VR-59 and VQ-5.

Marine Helicopters In Support of Bosnian Operations

September 4, 1992 – Two CH-53E and two AH-1W helicopters from Iwo Jima, stationed in the Adriatic in support of the UN relief efforts to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, rushed to the scene of an Italian Air Force G.222 transport downed by a SAM. The helicopters drew fire from the ground, but were undamaged.

VP-1 and HSL-37 Support Hurricane Iniki Relief in Hawaiian Islands

September 11, 1992 – Hurricane Iniki, the strongest storm to hit the Hawaiian Islands in 90 years, devastated 75 to 80 percent of the island of Kauai. NAS Barbers Point and its tenant commands provided volunteers and assisted local residents. Belleau Wood sailed to Kauai with troops and relief supplies. Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands on Kauai was only slightly damaged and served as a hub of relief flight operations. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft flew in supplies and personnel. VP-1 and HSL-37 also participated in the relief effort.

Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group Sent to Somalia

September 16, 1992 – President George H. W. Bush dispatched the Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group to the coast of Somalia as part of Operation Provide Relief, a multinational effort to relieve the massive starvation in the country. The Marine Harrier (AV-8B) aircraft and helicopters from HMM-161 (R) stood ready offshore to protect relief teams and transport aircraft bringing in a contingent of Pakistani peace-keeping troops to Mogadishu, the capital city.

Four Functional Wings Disestablished

September 30, 1992 – The four functional wings (Helicopter Wings, Atlantic; Patrol Wings, Atlantic; Strike-Fighter Wings, Atlantic; and Tactical Wings, Atlantic) of COMNAVAIRLANT were disestablished in a sweeping change that eliminated an entire echelon of command in the administrative structure of Naval Aviation on the East Coast.

HS-14 Lands SH-3H Seaking on Russian Warship

October 15, 1992 – HS-14 became the first U.S. squadron to land aircraft (the SH-3H Sea King) on the deck of a Russian warship, RNS Admiral Vinogradov, a Udaloy-class destroyer.

DOD Awards Contract For V-22 Derivative

October 22, 1992 – The Department of Defense announced the awarding of a contract to the Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office for the modification and test of a V-22 derivative. The aircraft was in consonance with the Secretary of Defense letters of 2 July 1992 to Congressional leadership. It was a scaled-down version of the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.

Operation Provide Promise

November 7, 1992 – In support of Operation Provide Promise, an ARG centered on Guam with HMM-261 (reinforced) embarked, relieved Iwo Jima ARG, with HMM-365 (reinforced) aboard, in the Adriatic.

Operation Restore Hope Begins

December 9, 1992 – Under the leadership of U.S. Armed Forces, Operation Restore Hope began in the early morning darkness. The pre-announced landing of U.S. Marines was witnessed by millions of U.S. prime-time television viewers. Initially HMM-164 (reinforced from Tripoli) provided all of the Marine helicopter support to ground forces in Somalia.

LAMPS MK-III Block I Upgrade

January 1, 1993. – The LAMPS MK-III Block I Upgrade was successfully completed. The Block II Upgrade began that same year. The SH-6B sensor package included radar, electronic support measures (ECM), forward-looking infrared (FLIR), passive/active underwater acoustic sensors, magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), antisubmarine acoustic torpedoes, the Penguin missile, and the data links that allowed the ship’s CIC operators to view sensor data in real time and even control helicopter systems remotely. The LAMPS MK-III program was a great success that bred a new generation of HSL squadrons.

Tripoli was relieved as Commander, Naval Forces Somalia

February 4, 1993 – Commander, Amphibious Squadron 43 embarked on Tripoli was relieved as Commander, Naval Forces Somalia (COMNAVFOR SOMALIA) by DESRON 17 embarked on William H. Standley (CG 32). COMNAVFOR SOMALIA was charged with providing direct support for Operation Restore Hope, the UN embargo directed by Security Council Resolution 733. Tripoli amphibious task unit was the first U.S. military presence on station near the Horn of Africa. It set the base of operations for Operation Restore Hope, the largest peacetime humanitarian mission ever undertaken.

Wasp arrived off Somalia

March 23, 1993 – The ARG centered around Wasp arrived off Somalia to support UN relief efforts in Operation Restore Hope. Marine helicopters and Harriers from HMM-263 embarked on Wasp flew sorties in support of Marines in Somalia.

Tripoli amphibious task force arrived in Pearl Harbor

April 8 – Tripoli amphibious task force arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after a five-month deployment in support of Operation Restore Hope-the UN effort to relieve mass starvation in Somalia. During the support, task force units recovered 30,000 pieces of ordnance and disposed of more than 100,000 pounds of explosives collected from caches throughout the Somali countryside; launched more than 2,000 aircraft sorties from Tripoli and Juneau (LPD 10); delivered more than 175,000 meals and 25,000 gallons of water.

Commander, Helicopter Antisubmarine Light Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMHSLWINGPAC) was established

May 5, 1993 – Commander, Helicopter Antisubmarine Light Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMHSLWINGPAC) was established in a ceremony at NAS North Island, Calif.; Captain John R. Brown was the first commander of the new type wing.

The NAVCAD program was disestablished

October 1, 1993 – The NAVCAD program was disestablished. The program was begun during World War II, and initially called the V-5 and then the V-12 program. It was disestablished in 1966, but later reinstated in 1986 to help train more pilots for the planned 600-ship fleet.

V-22 Osprey returned to Patuxent River

December 9, 1993 – The V-22 Osprey returned to Patuxent River, Md., from facilities in Wilmington, Del., to begin full engineering manufacturing development testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. The new program would usher in a new Integrated Test Team concept of test and evaluation for Naval Aviation.

Peleliu ARG joined the Inchon ARG off the coast of Somalia

March 3, 1994 – Peleliu ARG joined the Inchon ARG off the coast of Somalia to support the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Somalia.

U.S. Navy Penguin (AGM-119B) missile MK-2 Mod 7 reached initial operational capability (IOC)

April 29, 1994 – The U.S. Navy Penguin (AGM-119B) missile MK-2 Mod 7 reached initial operational capability (IOC) and was launched for the first time by a fleet unit on 25 June when an SH-60B from Hewitt (DD 966) fired an operational missile. Penguin is a short-range, inertially guided antiship missile system. HSL-51 Det 6 accomplished the firing at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Hawaii as part of RIMPAC 94 exercises.

HC-1 was Disestablished.

April 29, 1994 – HC-1 was Disestablished.

"White Hawk" was established for the VH-60N

July 7, 1994 – The popular name “White Hawk” was established for the VH-60N, whose primary mission was to provide worldwide executive transport in support of the president and his staff.

Five Navy MH-53 minesweeper helicopters arrived at MCAS Tustin, Calif

August 31, 1994 – Five Navy MH-53 minesweeper helicopters arrived at MCAS Tustin, Calif., as the H-53 training of both Navy and Marine Corps personnel began to consolidate. With the disestablishment of HM-12, the Navy’s H-53 fleet readiness squadron, the Marines assumed the training responsibility in HMT-302.

President William Clinton's policy to restore democracy to Haiti

September 12-13, 1994 – A unique operation developed due to the situation in Haiti. Dwight D. Eisenhower and America deployed with a large contingent of Army helicopters on board, but no air wings. The carriers headed for the Caribbean in support of President William Clinton’s policy to restore democracy to Haiti. Dwight D. Eisenhower also embarked Navy squadrons HS-7, HCS-4 and HC-2. This was the first time that carriers deployed operationally with a large contingent of Army helicopters and no air wing on board.

HC-85 established at Naval Air Station Alameda

October 1, 1994 – HC-85 established at Naval Air Station Alameda, Ca.

Naval and Marine forces from Belleau Wood conducted amphibious landings in Mogadishu, Somalia

February 28-March 2, 1995 – Naval and Marine forces from Belleau Wood conducted amphibious landings in Mogadishu, Somalia, to establish a rear guard security perimeter in support of Operation United Shield, which ensured a safe and orderly withdrawal of the UN forces in Somalia. Essex ARG also participated in this operation.

Inchon was redesignated MCS 12

March 1, 1995 – Inchon was redesignated MCS 12 and scheduled for a 13-month overhaul at Pascagoula, Miss., and conversion into a mine countermeasures support ship. Inchon had just completed a year operating off the coasts of Somalia, Bosnia and Haiti.

Marine Air Recover USAF Pilot shot Down During Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia

June 8, 1995 – CH-53 Sea Stallions, AH-1W Sea Cobras and AV-8B Harriers from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard Kearsarge rescued Captain Scott O’Grady, USAF, after he was shot down while flying over Bosnia on 2 June in support of Operation Deny Flight.

Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) Turned Over Helicopter Operations to a Commercial Company

January 1, 1996 – Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) turned over helicopter operations to a commercial company. “Operation Deep Freeze” continued until 1998.