Ashland (LSD 48) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN DOUGLAS W. KEITH, U.S. NAVY COMMANDING OFFICER USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) I i ' T Captain Douglas Wayne Keith was J| born in Los Angeles, California, and m hB % grew up in Southern California. He H| | | || graduated and received his commission B BH through the NROTC program at the , m. University of Southern California. Upon commissioning, he reported to USS ORIS KAN Y (CVA 34) as a CIC Watch Officer and Ship ' s Weapons Coordinator. In July of 1974 he was ordered to USS SCHOFIELD ( FFG 3 ) as CIC officer, remaining there until Spring of 1976. From SCHOFIELD, Captain Keith was ordered to an Exchange Officer billet as an instruc- tor at the Canadian Forces Fleet School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. That tour was followed by the Department Head curriculum at Surface Warfare Schools Command in Newport. Rhode Island. Upon graduation he served as Operations Officer on USS RICHARD E. BYRD (DDG 23) from February 1979 to December 1980. From December 1980 to September 1982, he served as First Lieutenant on USS PORTLAND (LSD 37). In September 1982, Captain Keith was assigned to the Naval Military Personnel Command for duty as the Surface Warfare Officer LCDR Detailer He entered the surface command pipeline in Jul ' 1984 and assumed command of USS ARIES (PHM 5), homeported in Key West. Florida. He served as Commanding Officer until November 1986. Upon relief he reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for duty as a program analyst for Space and Command and Control (C3) programs in the Program Resource Appraisal Branch (OP 81). In August 1988, Captain Keith attended the National Defense University ' s Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) and participated in a cooperative degree program with George Washington University, receiving his masters degree in Public Administration in the field of National Resource Management. Upon completion of ICAF, Captain Keith entered the command pipeline once again to report on site during construction and fitting out of ASHLAND (LSD 48). She was placed in commission May 9, 1992 in New Orleans and Captain Keith assumed command as the ship ' s first Commanding Officer Shortly after commissioning, the ship participated in Hurricane Andrew relief operations as part of Joint Task Force Andrew in both the Bahamas and Southern Florida. Captain Keith ' s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal witii gold slar. tlie Navy ( ' onuiiendalion Modal w illi goki star, the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation and various other campaign and seivicc awartls. Captain Keith is married to the former Diana Lee Caulfield of West Covina. C ' aliloinia. riie and iheir llnvc children - Christopher, Scott, and Carly Anne — reside in Northern Virginia.

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mm. i ' ASHLAND was recommissioned on 27 December 1950 and completed her shakedown training in February 1951. In April, she sailed for the east coast where her first assignment was Operation Bluejay, held in conjunction with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). The next several years consisted of a number of major underway periods including a deployment to Greenland and several lengthy operations in the Caribbean as well as the North Atlantic. A notable highlight occurred in September, 1953, when she took two French submarines and seven French naval personnel on board for transpor- tation to the west coast. The vessel transited the Panama Canal on 10 October, deposited her cargo and passengers at San Diego and then returned to Norfolk in October to resume service along the east coast. On 1 November, 1956, ASHLAND was transferred to the control of Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic, for alter- ations enabling the ship to tend aircraft. By July 1957, she was configured to handle six P5M2 aircraft. At the conclusion of a deployment to the Caribbean, she was decommissioned for a second time on 14 September 1957 and placed in the Norfolk Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 29 November 1961, ASHLAND was recommissioned. Assigned to Amphibious Squadron 4. she began a routine of alternating between local east coast operations and 6th Fleet deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. In October 1964, she participated in Operation Steel Pike, the largest amphibious assault staged in peacetime up to that point, where she served as a primary control vessel and boat repair ship. In March, 1966. she conducted numerous amphibious landings in the Caribbean, including Operation Beachtime , a landing which involved over 40 ships of the 2nd Fleet. Then in Januar ' 1968, she deployed to the Mediterranean where she took part in the NATO Exercise Dawn Patrol which involved naval forces of France and Greece. On 12 November 1968, ASHLAND weighed anchor for what proved to be her last Mediterranean tour. During the deployment, she repeated her routine of amphibious landing exercises and port visits before returning to the United States in mid- 1969. There, it was found that the repairs she needed to continue efficient operation would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, ASHLAND was decommissioned on 22 November 1969. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 25 November 1969, and she was sold to N. W. Kennedy, Ltd., of Vancouver, British Columbia in May 1970.

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LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JOHN CHRISTOPHER LEGG, U.S. NAVY EXECUTIVE OFFICER USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) Lieutenant Commander Legg was born in Syracuse. New York, on 15 October 1958. He graduated from Skaneateles Central High School in 1976 and was accepted at the University of Rochester and the Navy ROTC program. Lieutenant Commander Legg graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Psychology and was commissioned in May 1980. He was assigned to the Surface Warfare Officer School Command, Newport, Rhode Island. After graduating from the Surface Warfare Officer School Basic course in October 1980. Lieutenant Commander Legg attended Damage Control Assistant School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before reporting to USS HARLAN COUNTY (LST 1196) homeported in Little Creek, Virginia, where he served as Damage Control Assistant and Electrical Auxiliaries Officer. During this tour he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. Lieutenant Commander Legg transferred in August 1983 to the Surface Warfare Officer School Command as an instructor and Division Head at the Division Officer School, serving there until December 1986. Lieutenant Commander Legg graduated from the Department Head course in August 1987. He was assigned to L SS CONNOLE ( FF 1 056 ) as Chief Engineer until March 1 990, completing his Command-at-Sea qualifications. He then reported to the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, completing the ten-month resident course at the College of Naval Command and Staff earning its Master of Arts Degree in National Security Policy and a Master of Science Degree in Management at Salva Regina College. Lieutenant Commander Legg then attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk. Virginia, prior to reporting in July 1991 as Joint Duty Officer, United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, Advance Secretariat, Panmunjom, Korea. He served in this billet until July 1992, when he reported to Surface Warfare Officers School Command. Newport. Rhode Island, for the Prospective Executive Officer course of instruction. Lieutenant Commander Legg has been assigned as Executive Officer. USS ASHLAND (LSD 48). since December 1992. Lieutenant Commander Legg is authorized to wear the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, and various other campaign and service awards. Lieutenant Commander Legg is married to Nancy J. Thomas. They reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with their daughter, Courtney and son, Brendan.