Bainbridge (CGN 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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fl? I-8'-E HT vs Il CAPTAIN THEODORE A. ALMSTEDT,JR., A NATIVE OF KIRKWOOD, MO.,WAS COMMISIONED IN JUNE 1957 AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE I, I RI NAVAL ACADEMY. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT THE , I A CALL OF THE SEA THAT LED HIM TO , f Q I , ANNAPOLIS,C'I WAS TO POOR TO GO TO WW If IALL A' I COLLEGE, I NEEDED A SCHOLARSHIPRJ, CAPT. f ALMSTEDT SOON FOUND OUT THAT HE LOVED ,I f THE SEA. ILIII' MTX AFTER EARNING AN MS. IN ELECTRICAL 1 J ENGINEERING, HE COMMANDED THE USS T HAVRE, THEN WENT TO THE USS LONG BEACH WI AS MPA, THEN JOINED THE USS BAINBRIDGE AS CHIEF ENGINEER IN 1966. HE THEN TOOK , I I , 1'I' COMMAND OF THE USS SCHOFIELD BEFORE COMING TO THE BAINBRIDGE. 'II HATE SHORE DUTY , HE CALMLY STATED. ff A 5, x HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER BARBARA I I If GRUELL AND HAVE 3 CHILDREN. CAPTAIN I i ALMSTEDT HAS NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT HOW HIS I CREW SEES HIM. Z THEY THINK I'M DARTH VADERH. X mm f W ,,..,,f, ' , si , A ' I' ffffif , w, f 'Iggy , A N. V W Y , I K. , ! Q E H 'X if I 0- fl I I V! my rf ,,. ,X

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SS AINBRIDG ' C 'N-25 USS BAINBRIDGE IS THE FOURTH SHIP OF THE LINE TO BE NAMED FOR THE FAMOUS COMMO- DORE WILLIAM R. BAINBRIDGE. SHE WAS COMMISSIONED AS THE WORLD'S FIRST NUCLEAR POWERED, GUIDED MISSILE FRIGATE ON 6 OCTOBER I962 JOININ . G HER SISTER SHIPS THE USS ENTERPRISE AND USS LONG BEACH TO FORM THE FAM OUS TASK FORCE ONE , BAINBRIDGE STEAMED ON A 30,565 MILE UNREPLENISHED VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD. AS A PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE ADVANT AGES OF NUCLEAR POWERED SHIPS, THE TASK FORCE COM- PLETED THE 65 DAY JOURNEY WITHOUT RECEIVING FUEL FOOD OR OTH , , ER PROVISIONS EN- ROUTE, AN UNPRECENDENTED FEAT WHICH CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED BY CONVENTIONAL SHIPS. ASSIGNED TO THE PACIFIC FL PACIFIC SERVING IN A VARIETY OF ROLES IN SUPPORT OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN OPERATIONS. OFF VIETNAM, SHE BECAME PART OF THE FIRST NUCLEAR TASK FORCE IN C OMBAT, AND SHE HELD FOR YEARS THE FLEET SPEED AND ENDURANCE RECORD AS A RESULT OF A 3,700 MILE 29.2 KNOT AVERAGE RUN FROM FREEMANTLE AUSTRALIA TO THE GULF OF TONKIN COMPLETELY MODERNIZED BETWEEN 1974-76, THE 16 YEAR OLD BAINBRIDGE IS ONE OF THE NEWEST SHIPS IN THE FLEET FULLY ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THE F , UTURE. REDESIGNATED A CRUISER, THE 'BILLY B, IS READY TO MAKE NEW HISTORY AS IT Looxs FORWARD TO ITS ROLE AS A POWER FOR PEACE', IN THE l980's. EET, BAINBRIDGE MADE SIX DEPLOYMENTS TO THE WESTERN

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COMMANDER RICHARD W. TRIPP WAS COMMISSIONED AN ENSIGN UPON GRADUATION FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN 1962. UNLIKE CAPT. ALMSTEDT, CDR. TRIPPIS DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY WAS ONE OF PREFERENCE, TURNING DOWN OFFERS FROM DUKE AND M.I.T. TO ATTEND ANNAPOLIS. HIS FIRST TOUR OF DUTY WAS ABOARD THE USS BIGELOW, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE USS TATTNALL AS ENGINEERING OFFICER. THEN IT WAS OFF TO THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL TO EARN A PHD IN PHYSICS. AFTER SERVING AS A MEMBER OF THE NUCLEUS CREW OF THE USS NIMITZ, CDR. TRIPP REPORTED TO THE BAINBRIDGE. HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER KAREN HOWIESON AND HAVE TWO CHILDREN. ON THE DEPLOYMENT, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE OF HAVING NO ONE TO TURN TO, BECAUSE BAINBRIDGE'S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR AND GENERAL FRIEND IN WAITING, CHAPLAIN RODNEY CALL ME PADREU SCHEER WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. HE WAS THERE TO BREAK BAD NEWS GENTLY, TO MAKE GOOD NEWS EVEN BETTER WITH HIS READY SMILE AND QUICK HUMOR, AND SOMETIMES HE WAS THE ONLY SAFE HARBOR IN A SEA OF GRIM FACES WHEN YOU WENT BEFORE THE CAPTAIN. CDR. SCHEER'S CONTRIBUTION TO SHIPBOARD LIFE WAS IMMEASUREABLE, AND THE IS LITTLE POORER FOR HIS TRANSFER. HE WAS AND IS ONE OF THOSE RARE INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVE CHRISTIANITY IS MORE THAN A WORD-IT'S A WAY OF LIFE.