Belleau Wood (LHA 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN HUBERT F. TAHANEY, JR.

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COMMANDING OFFICER CAPTAIN HUBERT F. TAHANEY, JR. Captain Tahaney received his commission througin the Officer Candidate Program in December 1962. His sea assignments include USS CHARLES BERRY (DE-1035) USS SPROSTON (DD-577); shipboard advisor to the Vietnamese Fiavy; Aide Flag Secretary, COMSERVQRU THREE CTF 73; Executive Officer, USS SAMPLE (ff- 1048); Commanding Officer, USS SAN BERNARDINO (LST-1189); Chief Staff Officer, COMPHIBRON SEVEN. From April 1986 to May 1987, he commanded USS LA SALLE (AGr-3), permanently deployed to the Arabian Gulf as flagship. Commander Niddle East Force. Shore assignments included courses at the Naval De- stroyer School and the Naval War College; duty in the Bu- reau of Naval Personnel, Enlisted Distribution Branch; on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and staff of Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Captain Tahaney holds a B.S. in History from St. Pet- er ' s College in New Jersey, andamastersdegreein Inter- national Affairs from George Washington University. His significant personal decorations and service awards in- clude the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with gold star in lieu of second award. Combat Ac- tion Ribbon and Navy Expeditionary Medal. Captain Tahaney is married to the former Mary Lynn Bliss of Port Huron, Mich. The Tahaneys and their two chil- dren, Kate and Pat, reside in San Diego.

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The present day USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3) was commissioned 23 Septem- ber 1978, in Pascagouia, Mississippi. At the commissioning ceremony. Vice Admiral James B. Stockdaie said that BELLEAU WOOD will form a nucleus of our amphibious force into the 21st Century. BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3), a TARAWA-Ciass general purpose amphibious assault ship, re- presents a dramatic new dimension In U.S. navy Marine Corps amphibious warfare. BEL- LEAU WOOD and her sister LHAs offer the U.S. Mavy Marine team the largest, fastest and most versatile vessel in the history of amphibious warfare, with the first-time capability of launch- ing a concentrated and extremely swift coordi- nated air, and sea attack from one ship. The LHA-Class ships were designed primarily for a mission in what the Marine Corps calls tactical integrity — transporting and off-loading a balanced payload of men and equipment in a two-pronged assault. With almost autonomous capability, one LHA can carry over 1,800 combat- ready Marines, along with all the equipment and supplies needed in an assault, and land them ashore by either helicopter or amphibious craft or a combination of both. This two-pronged capabili- ty of vertical launch from a carrier-type flight deck and waterborne movement from a large wet well deck aft, permits the LHA to carry out any present- day amphibious operation with mueh greater speed and coordination than previously possible.