Feb 10th 1997: The following are the highlights for FY98 and FY99 Budget:

$18mill for CVN-77
New Attack Submarine (NSSN) 4 boat program
SSN-23 (Seawolf) completion
concept demonstration of the Arsenal Ship
funding for Future Surface Combatant (SC-21)
3 LMSR sealift ships
51 aircraft in FY98 and 71 in FY99
Special Operations version of V-22
Joint Primary Aircraft Training Program (JPATS)
Joint Strikefighter Program (JSF)
AMRAAM missiles
Joint Standoff Weapons System (JSOW)
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM)
reduction of 11,000 personell (mostly enlisted)
Deployable Battle Force ships: 354 in FY97, 346 in FY98 and 335 in FY99
decomissioning of 18 ships in FY98 and 17 in FY99
available aircraft: 2,556 in FY99
Personell: 402,013 in FY97, 390,802 in FY98 and 384,888 in FY99
Source: US Navy

Jan 23rd 1997: In 1997, the team is scheduled to perform at:

March 15: NAF El Centro, Calif.
March 22-23: Mesa, Ariz.
April 5-6: MacDill AFB, Fla.
April 12-13: MACS Cherry Point, N.C.
April 19-20: NAS Fallon, Nev.
April 25-27: MCAS El Toro, Calif.
May 3-4: NAS Key West, Fla.
May 10-11: Brunswick, Ga.
May 17-18: Montreal
May 21-23: Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
May 24: NAS Patuxent River, Md.
May 31-June 1: Willow Run, Mich.
June 7-8: NAS Lemoore, Calif.
June 14-15: Hillsboro, Ore.
June 21-22: NAS/JRB Willow Grove, Pa.
June 28-29: North Kingstown, R.I.
July 5-6: Fargo, N.D.
July 12: Pensacola Beach, Fla.
July 19-20: NAS Brunswick, Maine.
July 26-27: Kansas City, Mo.
Aug. 2-3: Salinas, Calif.
Aug. 9-10: Seattle, Wash.
Aug. 15-17: NAS Miramar, Calif.
Aug. 23-24: NAS Corpus Christi, Texas.
Sept. 6-7: Grand Junction, Colo.
Sept. 13-14: Fort Smith, Ark.
Sept. 20-21: NAS Oceana, Calif.
Sept. 27-28: Smyra, Tenn.
Oct. 4-5: El Paso, Texas
Oct. 11-12: San Francisco
Oct. 18-19: Liberal, Kan.
Oct. 25-26: Tulsa, Okla.
Nov. 1-2: NAS Cecil Field, Fla.
Nov. 8-9: NAS Pensacola, Fla.
-US Navy-

Jan 18th 1997: ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS (NWSA) -- The Navy's newest multi-mission strike fighter, the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, made its first aircraft carrier landing Jan. 18 aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) underway 140 miles off the coast of Cherry Point, N.C. These sea trials will continue for two weeks.
-US Navy-

Jan 16th 1997: President Clinton supports the building of a new carrier beyond CVN-76 Ronald Reagan currently being constructed. R&D funding is likely to be provided the next fiscal year leading up to $1 bill in 2000.

Dec 19th 1996: The number of aircraft lost to accidents was an all-time low of 67, down from 69 the previous year. The aircraft major-accident rate dropped slightly from 1.53 to 1.50 accidents per 100,000 flying hours. This continues a steady six-year declining aviation accident trend. Since this statistic is a rate, it takes into account variations in flying hours and reductions in personnel.
On-duty fatalities of military members, DOD Civil Service employees, and bystanders dropped from 206 to 171. Most of the deaths were the result of aviation accidents, where fatalities increased from 85 to 108, 34 of which occurred in the crash of the military plane carrying former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and his traveling party.
Off-duty accidental military deaths dropped from 376 to 293, an all-time low. The largest improvement was in the reduction of private motor vehicle fatalities.
-US Navy-

Dec 19th 1996: Ships returning Dec. 20 include: USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Supply (AOE 6), USS Briscoe (DD 977), USS Klakring (FFG 42), USS R.G. Bradley (FFG 49), USS Mitscher (DDG 57) and USS Norfolk (SSN 714).
Ships returning Dec. 21 include: USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), USS Saipan (LHA 2) and USS Austin (LPD 4).
-US NAVY-

Dec 19th 1996: The operational debut of new high-tech hardware; the F-14s of Fighter Squadron 103, based at NAS Oceana, were outfitted with the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night (LANTIRN) pods. This system allows Tomcats to deliver laser-guided weapons, to designate targets for other aircraft and gives the F-14 a precision-strike capability.
-US NAVY-

Dec 9th 1996: USS Enterprise turned over the Med watch to USS Roosevelt today off the coast of Spain. Enterprise then started the 4,067 mile journey home which will see the A-6 Intruder on it's last cruise before retirement from active service.

Nov 26th 1996: Capt Ronald Christenson, former commander of the USS Roosevelt and Capt Coleman Landers former commander of the cruiser USS Leyte Gulf received punative letters of reprimand over the collision of both ships on October 14th. That will virtually end their sea-going careers, several other officers were also punished to varying levels. The collision caused a total of around $11mill damage to both ships.