Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Story by USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. paid his constituents a visit to see how things are running aboard the nation’s carrier deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. paid his constituents a visit to see how things are running aboard the nation’s carrier deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

Oklahoma Sailors on board USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) got a special treat Monday, Oct. 30, 2000.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., one of the leading conservative voices in the Senate, paid his constituents a visit to see how things are running aboard the nation’s carrier deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

"I didn’t come to be wined and dined," said Inhofe, who chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support. "I came to talk to Sailors about any readiness concerns they face in their everyday jobs.

"I’ve found when I talk to service members that the lack of the right spare part to do the job can become a problem, or that they have spare parts, but not for the right series of aircraft," Inhofe remarked after touring the carrier’s jet shop. "Sailors need to be given the right tools to do the job."

Of the Sailors Inhofe visited, Petty Officer Michael Griggs, an aviation boatswain mate with the ship’s Air Department and a Broken Arrow, Okla., native, took the opportunity to express his views to the senator.

"I was glad to see my senator. Being on the Armed Forces Service Committee gives him a chance to see our needs and problems at the deckplate level. We spend six months at a time away from the U.S., our families, and our friends, so we in the military give a lot to our country. It's good to know that my senator will not forget about me.

Of the Sailors Inhofe visited, Petty Officer Michael Griggs, an aviation boatswain mate with the ship’s Air Department and a Broken Arrow, Okla., native, took the opportunity to express his views to the senator.

Of the Sailors Inhofe visited, Petty Officer Michael Griggs, an aviation boatswain mate with the ship’s Air Department and a Broken Arrow, Okla., native, took the opportunity to express his views to the senator.

Norman, Okla., native Petty Officer Second Class Cogie Beattie, a torpedoman’s mate in the Weapons Department, added that she was glad the senator came out to see firsthand what things were like. "It gave him the chance to hear any concerns we may have pertaining to our jobs, our government, and our political leaders. I also asked him to continue to fight for military personnel issues such as housing and medical. This was a great idea, and the Navy should continue to have more representatives from other states be able to visit."

According to his biography, Inhofe serves in several key leadership roles regarding defense and national security issues. As chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, he has fought to improve the condition of the United States military, both by providing greater resources and by insisting that future overseas military missions serve vital national interests. He is one of the Senate’s prime advocates for deploying a national missile defense system. His subcommittee also oversees military construction, base closings, training, logistics, acquisition reform and business management issues in the Pentagon.

Inhofe grew up in Tulsa and graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Army and has been a small businessman (working in aviation, real estate and insurance) for over 30 years. He was elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives in 1966, served one term, and was then elected to the Oklahoma State Senate where he served two terms and became Minority Leader. From 1978 to 1984, he was Mayor of Tulsa.

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