USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
History of the USS John C. Stennis Aircraft Carrier
The USS John C. Stennis was ordered for the U.S. Navy on March 29, 1988. Her keel was laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Virginia on March 13, 1991. She was launched on November 11, 1993 and commissioned on December 9, 1995.
For her maiden deployment, USS John C. Stennis departed Norfolk, Virginia on February 26, 1998 for the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch. When she sailed for home on July 19, she headed to her new homeport at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. In November of the following year, she ran aground in shallow waters near the base, requiring her to shut down her nuclear reactors and involving a $2 million cleanup effort.
In January 2000, the USS John C. Stennis relieved the USS John F. Kennedy in the Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Southern Watch. Her port calls on this voyage included South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
After terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, USS John C. Stennis took up Operation Noble Eagle duty. During this time, she conducted air patrols over U.S. cities along the West Coast. In November, she got underway for a Fifth Fleet deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon her return home to San Diego, California in May 2002, she underwent a period of overhaul.
USS John C. Stennis conducted goodwill visits and exercises in 2004, including Exercise Northern Edge 2004 and RIMPAC. Her homeport was shifted to Naval Station Bremerton in Washington on January 19, 2005. While there, she underwent a period of overhaul and upgrades.
When the USS John C. Stennis returned to the Persian Gulf in early 2007, joining the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, it marked the first time in four years that two aircraft carrier battle groups had been in the area simultaneously. She passed through the Strait of Hormuz in May and returned to Bremerton, Washington at the end of August.
On January 13, 2009, USS John C. Stennis got underway for a six-month Western Pacific deployment. She arrived in Singapore on April 24, and one of her sailors was killed as he worked from a small harbor boat to secure a drain. Five days later, her executive officer was relieved of duty and reassigned. After participating in exercises with Korea and Japan, she returned home in July. The aircraft carrier is still serving the U.S. Navy on active duty as of July 2009.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma .
Sources include:
John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, "Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences," Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008) The Official Website of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
