Navy Compass - San Diego Official Navy Newspaper

CORONADO, Calif -- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 arrived at Naval Air Station North Island today and conducted a transfer of personnel and equipment, or "cross deck," with the USS George Washington (CVN 63).  

AG1 (AW/SW) Jeffrey Jackson embraces and kisses his wife Dawn after pulling into Naval Air Station North Island Aug. 7. with the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) The Jackson's had the first kiss. Official U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Larry Foos.

More than 500 family members and friends attended to welcome home Kitty Hawk Sailors and witness the historical event.

Veronica Peyton, a Chicago native, who now lives in Moreno Valley, Calif., said the ship's arrival to San Diego brought her the best birthday gift, her son. Peyton's son has been in the Navy a little more than two years.

"My baby is on board that ship, and I couldn't be more proud of him. Ever since he was a Boy Scout, he has known that he wanted to join the Navy," Peyton said. The Navy commissioned the Kitty Hawk in 1961 and the ship later assumed duties as the nation's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier when it relieved the decommissioned USS Independence (CV 62) in 1998.

Shortly after the Kitty Hawk moored to NASNI's Pier M/N, CTF Commander, Rear Adm. Richard B. Wren kicked off a press conference where he said he was very excited to bring the Kitty Hawk to San Diego to prepare for decommissioning and change with the GW.

"We have much work to do," said Wren. "We will transfer many members of the Kitty Hawk crew, as well as my staff, 66 airplanes and almost 1,700 personnel from air wing five over to George Washington."

Following the transfer, Wren said that GW will renew certain qualifications off the coast of Southern California before heading to Yokosuka and arriving in late September.

The Kitty Hawk is scheduled to decommission in 2009