Back to work as a Paramedic�Captain at Fort Benning, GA....trying to keep all these Army of One Soldiers healthy!!! (Like only a Navy Hospital Corpsman can!!) After serving 3 years on the USS INDEPENDENCE as an�ABF, �I took a 4 year break from the military. I went into the Army in 1995 for 4 years as a 91B, Combat Medic. I got out of the Army in 1999. I joined back up with the Navy Reserve in 2001 and have been loving it since!!
Built by New York Navy. Laid down 1 July 1955, launched 6 June 1958, commissioned 10 Jan 1959. Redesignated as a multimission carrier (CV 62) 28 February 1973. after being modified to operate ASW aircraft. SLEP at Philadelphia Navy Yard 4/1985 to mid-1988.
Replaced Midwayas forward-deployed carrier in Japan, 1991. Island was extensively enlarged during SLEP and other modernizations. Replaced by Kitty Hawk in July 1998 and decommissioned to reserve on 30 September 1998. Struck from the Navy list on 8 March 2004.
Status:Stricken, to be disposed of (Maintenance Category X).
Planned disposition:In April 2004 Navy officials identified ex-Independence as one of 24 decommissioned ships available to be sunk as artificial reefs. As of February 2008, however, she was scheduled to be dismantled in the next five years.