Happy Birthday Ike (CVN 69)
Channel: U.S. Navy
Date: 2016-10-12

• At 11:11, Oct. 11, 1975, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) entered the water for the first time. 
• Sept. 15, 1977, under clear skies, Ike made her first aircraft launch. 
• Oct. 18, 1977, two years and seven days to the minute since her christening, she was commissioned. 
• Jan. 30, 1979, heavy seas harassing her in transit, she passed into the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. 
• Sept. 1991 - Feb. 2000, Mighty Ike supported momentous operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Southern Watch and Deny Flight. 
• May 24, 2001 - Jan. 25, 2005, Ike accomplished a mid-life refueling complex overhaul, designed to ready her for another 35 years of service. The ship reported that nearly every space and system aboard was upgraded and overhauled. 
• Since 2001, Ike has deployed five times. Four in support of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom and one for Operation Inherent Resolve (2016).