In October 1983 The USS Kennedy was diverted to Beirut, Lebanon from her planned Indian Ocean deployment, after the Beirut barracks bombing killed 241 US Military personnel taking part in the Multinational Force in Lebanon, and spent the rest of that year and early 1984 patrolling the region. On 4 December 1983 ten A-6 aircraft from the Kennedy along with A-6 and A-7 aircraft from USS Independence took part in a bombing raid over Beirut, in response to two US F-14 aircraft being fired upon the previous day. The Navy lost two aircraft during the raid: an A-7E from the Independence and an A-6E from the Kennedy were shot down by SAMs. The A-7E pilot was picked up by a fishing boat, but the A-6E pilot Lt. Mark Lange was killed and the B/N Lt. Robert Goodman was taken prisoner; he was released on 3 January 1984.

Mark's A-6E was shot down over central Lebanon on 4 December 1983 during a bombing raid--in retaliation for hostile ground fire directed at U.S. reconnaissance flights over the area. He and his bombardier-navigator, Lt. Robert Goodman, ejected at low altitude. Goodman survived the crash landing with some injuries, but one of Mark's legs was severed when he hit the ground hard. Both men were quickly captured by the Syrian militia. Mark's captors did not apply the tourniquet that might have saved his life. Doctors who later examined the body said he bled to death. Goodman was released a few weeks later, following talks between Rev. Jesse Jackson and Syrian officials.

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