Sideboys salute as GEN. Colin L. Powell, USA, chairman, Joint Chiefs of STAFF, arrives for the change of command ceremony during which Adm. Leon A. Edney will replace Adm. Frank B. Kelso II as commander-in-chief, U.S. Atlantic Command. The ceremony is taking place aboard the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67). Later in the day, Kelso will assume the post of CHIEF of Naval Operations from Adm. Carlisle A.H. Trost during a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy

Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.