USS Iowa History - Cold War
1982 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989
1982
September 1 - In tow from Philadelphia to New Orleans and Avondale shipyard, Inc., for modernization and reactivation. Subsequently towed to Ingalls shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi for completion of work.
1984
April - Commanding Officer Captain Gerald E. Gneckow, USN
April 28 - Recommissioned ahead of schedule and within budget.
April 30 - Underway to Autec Range for Naval Gunfire Support (NGFS) training.
May - Two weeks refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.
May 21 - Off Vieques island, Puerto Rico, for NGFS qualifications for IOWA's 16-inch and 5-inch batteries.
June 19 - Underway for Caracas, Venezuela conducting a number of systems checks and gunnery exercises en route. USS IOWA also made stops at ports en route in support of "Naval Presence" operations designed to back-up friendly states in Central America and Caribbean.
July - Off Vieques Island for gunnery exercises.
August 8 - Underway to begin pacific Coast operations.
August 12 - Two US Army UH-1 helicopters from USS IOWA were used when medical and dental assistance was needed in Guatemala.
August 13 - SAR communications drill.
August 14 - Engaged in surveillance of thirteen miles of Nicaraguan coast in conjunction with embassy contingency communication exercises.
August 26 - Nicaraguan surveillance completed and USS IOWA returned to Balboa, Panama for trip back through canal.
September 17 - Arrived in Norfolk.
October - Week long visit to New York.
November 1-20 - Participated in COMPUTEX 1-85 in Puerto Rican Operations area.
December - In port Norfolk.
1985
January - Sea Trials.
February - Underway for deployment in Central America. Completed several civic action and humanitarian projects in Costa Rica and Honduras. Participated in encounter exercises with Battleship Surface Action Group.
March - Engaged in Battle Force integrated training and post-shakedown availability training operating out of Norfolk. Off loaded ammunition at Yorktown's Naval Weapons Station.
April 26 - Into drydock at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va.
July 31 - Out of drydock to load gun ammunition while at Whiskey Island Anchorage in Hampton Roads. This was followed by a demonstration of her Tomahawk Handling system, and then ten days of sea trials and ammunition unload at Yorktown.
August 22 - Received Battenburg Cup Award as best all-around ship in Atlantic Fleet for 1984.
August 27 - Underway for Ocean Safari as part of Battleship Surface Action Group providing protection for convoy of supply ships en route from Boston to Northern Europe.
September 20 - Operation Ocean Safari completed following rendezvous with USS America Battle Group, USS IOWA went on through English Channel to Le Havre, France, then Copenhagen & Aarhus, Denmark and Oslo, Norway.
October 12 - Underway for Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 85 in Baltic Sea. Part of US Task Unit conducting multilateral exercises with allied vessels in Baltic area.
October 18 - BALTOPS 85 concluded with USS IOWA in port at Kiel, West Germany.
October 26 - Underway for Norfolk, conducting numerous drills/exercises en route.
November 5 - In Norfolk for preparations for INSURV/UMI and final contract trials. In Central America as peaceful presence in support of friendly countries.
1986
March - Continued presence in Central American waters.
July - Commanding Officer Captain Larry Seaquist, USN
July 4 - Carried President Ronald Reagan for Liberty Weekend's International Naval Review in Hudson River.
August - Underway along Florida coast and in Gulf of Mexico conducting operational and training exercises.
August 17 - Underway for North Atlantic and (NATO) Operation Northern Wedding.
September - Participated in Operation Northern Wedding off southern coast of Norway, Following operations at sea, USS IOWA visited Portsmouth, England and Bremerhaven, West Germany.
October 2 - Underway for return trip to United States.
December 9 - Underway for sea trials off Virginia Capes. First launch, flight and recovery of a Pioneer RPV were made.
December 14 - USS IOWA fired 1,000th round of 16-inch ammunition since being recommissioned in 1984.
1987
January 9 - Departed Norfolk en route to Caribbean.
January 10 - Participated in exercise BLASTEX 1-87 in Caribbean.
January 18 - Operations in Caribbean with port visits in Honduras, Columbia and Virgin Islands.
February 11 - Arrived Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection).
February 13 - Departed Guantanamo Bay for gunnery exercises at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.
February 26 - Arrived Norfolk.
February 27 - In restricted availability at Norfolk.
March - Independent ship exercises.
March 30 - In service restricted availability at Norfolk.
April 25 - Departed Norfolk en route to Caribbean.
May 4 - Conducted SACEX in Puerto Rican operations area.
May 25 - Independent ship exercises.
July 8 - Participated in FLEETEX 3-87 in Western Atlantic.
July 26 - Arrive Yorktown Naval Weapons Center for loading ammunition.
July 28 - Arrive Norfolk. In Service restricted availability (SRA).
August 17 - Independent ship exercises.
September 10 - Departed Norfolk en route to Mediterranean.
September 20 - INCHOP (enter Mediterranean) to join Sixth Fleet.
September 22 - Participated in Exercise Display Determination.
October 8 - Port visit - Instanbul.
October 22 - OUTCHOP, detach from Sixth Fleet.
October 26 - Began North Sea operations.
October 30 - Arrived Trondheim, Norway.
November 8 - INCHOP.
November 25 - Transited Suez Canal.
December 4 - Arrived Diego Garcia to commence Persian Gulf Presence Operations.
December 7 - Depart Diego Garcia for operations in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea.
1988
January 1 - In Gulf of Oman. Operations included escorting convoys through the southern Strait of Hormuz and protecting convoy assembly areas off Masirah Island and Muscat, Oman.
February 20 - Transited Suez Canal.
February 29 - OUTCHOP
March 10 - Arrived Norfolk. In service restricted availability.
April 20 - Departed Norfolk en route to New York City to celebrate "Fleet Week" 21-25 of April.
April 25 - En route to Yorktown Naval Weapons Station for off load of ammunition, prior-to entering Norfolk Naval shipyard for SRA (25 April-23 August)
May - Commanding Officer Captain Fred P. Moosally, USN
August 24 - Sea Trials, Virginia Capes Operating Area.
October 7 - En route to Port Everglades, Florida for port visit (9-11 October).
October 13 - Arrived Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Refresher Training.
November 28 - Gunnery exercises at Vieques Island.
December 7 - Arrive Norfolk.
1989
January 20 - En route St. Martin, operating with units of the standing Naval Forces, Atlantic.
January 26 - USS IOWA fired the longest 16-inch round in history at Vieques Island. The projectile traveled 23.4 NM for a first round hit on target.
February 1 - En route to New Orleans for port visit (5-9 February).
March 16 - Arrive Norfolk.
April 10 - Embark Commander, Second Fleet.
April 13 - Underway, FLEETEX 3-89.
April 19 - Explosion within Turret Two kills 47 crewmen off the coast of Puerto Rico.
April 22 - Arrive Norfolk.
May 30 until June 2 - Ammunition loaded at Whisky Island Anchorage.
June 7 - Underway for Northern Europe and Mediterranean. During this deployment, USS IOWA traveled 30,983 NM and crossed eight time zones. Port visits included: Kiel, West Germany; Portsmouth, England: Rota, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Gibraltar; Marseille, France; Antalya, Turkey; Gaeta, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; Haifa, Israel; Alexandria, Egypt; Ajaccio, Corsica; Augusta Bay, Sicily; Naples, Italy and Palma, Mallorca.
July 24 until August 1 - Restricted availability, Marseille, France. Cut short one week due to contingency operations in the Mediterranean, off the Lebanese coast.
August 15 - Embark Commander, United States Sixth Fleet.
September 16 - Exercise Display Determination, 1989.
November 17 - Sixth Fleet departs USS IOWA, flag returned to USS BELKNAP.
November 26 - En route Norfolk. During this transit, last 16-inch round fired, giving USS IOWA a total of 2,873 rounds fired since 1984 recommissioning. Since USS IOWA's initial commissioning date in 1943, a total of 11,834 16-inch rounds fired.
December 7 - Arrive Norfolk.