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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Zulu - Oscar
NKZO

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean, 5-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal

Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:

Laid down, 1 October 1970, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.

Launched, 1 November 1972

Commissioned USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6), 11 August 1973, CAPT. John Henry Bres in command

Decommissioned, 16 August 1996

Struck from the Naval Register, 29 October 1998

Laid up, 1 November 1998, at the Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA.

Removed, under two from ISMF Philadelphia, 2 August 2000

Arrived, 3 August 2000, for lay up at the James River National Defense Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, VA.

Title transfer, 24 February 2001 to the Maritime Administration (MARAD)

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 July 2008, to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX. for $1,465,726,

Removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, 30 September 2008, arrived ESCO Brownsville, TX., 10 October 2008

Specifications:
Displacement 14,048 t.(lt) 39,790 t.(fl)
Length 659'
Beam 96'
Draft 37' (max.)
Speed 20 kts.

Complement

Officers 34

Enlisted 463

Armament

two Phalanx Close-In-Weapons System (CIWS)

Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS)

Aircraft two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters

Propulsion

two steam turbines

three boilers

twin propellers, 32,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
09210614	116k	Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under construction at the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, MA., circa in 1971. US Navy photo from USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) 1973-1974 cruise book.	Robert Hurst
	67k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6) refueling USS Richmond K Turner (CG-20)**, North Atlantic, October 1975	© Richard Leonhardt
	64k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** at Barcelona, Spain, 12 July 1980	Photo by Fabio Peña
	121k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. US Navy from "NAVSEA Journal."	Bob Bush
	53k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** under way, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
09210615	266k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** underway outbound to sea from Norfolk, VA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
09210616	180k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
	59k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Kalamazoo (AOR-6) web site
	143k	Aerial view of *USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6) replenishing the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the guided missile destroyer USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23) and the guided missile cruiser USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27), 5 February 1987. The ships are part of Carrier Group Eight*. Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-SC-87-03840*, a US Navy photo by PH1 Ron Beno now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.	Bill Gonyo
	1454k	A starboard view of the aircraft carrier *USS John F. Kennedy* (CV-67) and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and their escorts underway off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon, 5 February 1987. The escorts are, from front to back: the frigate USS W.S. Sims (FF-1059) replenishment oilers USS Savannah (AOR-4) and USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) and the guided missile destroyer USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23)*. Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-ST-87-04835*, by PH1 Ron Beno, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.	Bill Gonyo
NS026095	1.66M	Turnover in the Mediterranean, 17 June 1987. Clockwise from top center: *USS Kitty Hawk* (CV-63)** with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, en route to Philadelphia; guided missile frigate *USS Hawes* (FFG-53); USS Saratoga (CV-60)** with Carrier Air Wing (CVW-17). newly arrived in the Med from Mayport; guided missile frigate *USS Doyle* (FFG-39); frigate USS W.S. Sims (FF-1059); destroyer USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974); guided missile cruiser USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27); destroyer USS Conolly (DD-979); frigate USS Truett (FF-1095); and guided missile destroyer USS William V. Pratt (DDG-44). Replenishment oiler USS Kalamazoo(AOR-6)** is steaming in the center of the formation. US Navy photo by PH2 Thomas Hensley.	Museum of Military History, Kissimmee, FL
	2300k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6) conducting and underway replenishment with the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60)**, 23 June 1993, in the Atlantic Ocean. US Navy photo by PHAN Werling.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	85k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.	Stan Svec
	126k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	74k	*USS Kalamazoo* (AOR-6)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

There is no DANFS history available for USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) at NavSource

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Bres, John Henry	11 August 1973 - 30 April 1975
03	CAPT. Tuttle, Jerry Owen :VADM	30 April 1975 - 11 August 1976
03	CAPT. Kohn Jr., Edwin Rudolph :VADM	11 August 1976 - 20 December 1977
04	CAPT. Cramer, Dean E. (NG)	20 December 1977 - 24 May 1979
05	CAPT. Taylor, Jeremy Dolph :RADM	24 May 1979 - 14 August 1980
06	CAPT. Feran, Paul Michael	14 August 1980 - 17 January 1982
07	CAPT. Smith Jr., Leighton Warren (Snuffy) :ADM	17 January 1982 - 20 July 1983
08	CAPT. Rasmussen, John David	20 July 1983 - 23 March 1985
09	CAPT. Joyner, James Dietrich	23 March 1985 - 22 September1986
10	CAPT. McCrory, Donald Lee	22 September 1986 - 23 June 1988
11	CAPT. Mobley, Joseph Scott, USN (USNA 1966) :VADM	23 June 1988 - 26 January 1990
12	CAPT. Winters, Timothy Paul, USN (USNA 1967)	26 January 1990 - 10 July 1991
13	CAPT. Lundahl, David Carlton	10 July 1991 - 5 Mach 1993
14	CAPT. Fahy Jr., Edward Joseph, USN (USNA 1970) :RADM	5 March 1993 - 28 August 1994
15	CAPT. Deal, Rocklun Allen (Rocky)	28 August 1994 - 29 September 1995
16	CAPT. Avveduti Jr., Joseph Peter, USN (USNA 1974)	29 September 1995 - 16 August 1996


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 12 August 2022