Bowen (FF 1079) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM A, ESTELL, JR, COMMANDING OFFICER

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BOWEN ' S HISTORY The BOWEN bears the name of Vice Admiral Harold G. Bowen. a pioneer researcher in submarine and surface ship engineering plant systems. She was built by Avondale Shipyard. New Orleans, Louisiana. She was christened and launched 2 May 1970, and commissioned 22 May 1971. Her length is 438 feet. Her beam is 47 feet, she draws 26 feet. Her mast head height is 118 feet, I ' 6 inches. Fully loaded she displaces 4700 tons. In her II year history BOWEN has been involved in many types of missions. She was one of the pioneer platforms in the development of helo operations from the small flight deck of a small destroyer type ship. She has made several North Atlantic cruises and five major Mediterranean deployments, including the MED 82 March thru July. She has also deployed to the Indian Ocean in 1977, and to South America on Unitas IXX in 1979. She entered the yards for her second major overhaul in Brooklyn, New York from June 1980 to May 1981, and followed the overhaul with refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She participated in COMTUEX 82 off the coast of Puerto Rico. In Charleston, she is assigned to Destroyer Squadron FOUR commanded by Commodore W. H. Peerenboom. Since 25 January 1980, BOWEN ' S Commanding Officer has been Captain WILLIAM A. ESTELL. JR. BOWEN is designed primarily to locate and destroy submarines. She is equipped with the Navy ' s newest long range sonars, and air search and surface search radar systems. For submarine targets, BOWEN fights with the ASROC (ANTI-SUBMARINE ROCKET) and torpedoes. For surface, land and air targets, the BOWENS 5 inch gun is used. Additionally, to destroy air targets she carries BPDMS (BASIC POINT DEFENSE MISSILE SYSTEM). For long range surface targets the Harpoon Missile System is utilized. BOWEN is a self-supporting floating city, but the most important items on board are the men who sail her: which all the technology in the world cannot replace. BOWEN is a unique ship — and a great one. We, the men who sail her are proud of BOWEN. we take pride in ourselves and what we do. This is a pattern set by generations of great sailors. In this book we will show you some of them in action. i?m-»mam

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM A, ESTELL, JR,. U. 5. NAVY Captain WILLIAM A. ESTELL. JR.. was born in Cincinnati. Ohio, on 3 May 1938 and lived there until entering the Naval service on June 1958. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned an Ensign, U. S. Navy, on 6 June 1962. Shipboard tours of duty include service in USS BLANDY (DD-943) as First Lieutenant, USS BRONSTEIN (DE-1037) as First Lieutenant, Sonar Officer. ASW Officer and Weapons Officer, USS MILLER (FF-I09I) as Executive Officer, and currently in USS BOWEN (FF-1079) as Commanding Officer. Additional sea duty tours were with the staffs of Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla SIX and Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group EIGHT as Aide and Flag Secretary. Shore duty assignments were with the Key West Test And Evaluation Detachment of the Operational Test and Evaluation Force as a Sonar Project officer and the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Net Assessments Analyst in the Systems Analysis Division (OP-96). Captain ESTELL is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, in the Oceanography Curriculum, the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College, and the University of Southern California with a Master of Science Degree in Systems Management. Captain ESTELL has the following personal decorations and awards: Navy Commendation Medal, Navy E Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuban Blockade). Vietnam Service Medal and Sea Service Ribbon. He is married to the former Jinny Lee Cornell of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have a son, William Andrew III and a daughter. Martha Elizabeth. Captain ESTELL assumed command of USS BOWEN on 25 January 1980. s m lMMSam