Bowen (FF 1079) - Naval Cruise Book

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-VN Above, Commodore William Earn- er, Commander Destroyer Squad- ron Tour, addresses the assembled guests and crew. CDR Moser, seat- ed, listens as Commodore Earner reviews Bowen s successes during the two years of CDR Moser s tour. Cv H ? .v o i CDR Richard A. Robbins, above delivers his remarks on Bowcn ;■ flight deck during the change ol command ceremony, as CDR Robert D. Moser looks on. 24 liowcnlife

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SK2 Brian Crosbie, above, relaxes on the antenna deck with his two guests. Above, DKl nicholas Howe and his wnfe, Kathy, as the ship cruises off the coast of Charleston. fiill Phillips and OS2 Clay Carter, above, enjoy the sea breeze topside AJtli their guests Dependem ' s Cruise Family and friends embarli for an eigiit liour cruise. There is a long list of requirements a ship must sat- isfy prior to embarking on a deployment. Fleet ex- ercises, training exercises, gun shoots, and engi- neering plant trials are but a few. But for most crew mem- bers, the most enjoyable requirement is the depen- dent ' s cruise. Although not an official pre-deployment requirement, dependent ' s cruises invariably precede major ship de- ployments. Dependent ' s cruises are designed to give fam- ilies and friends of crew members the opportunity to ob- serve first hand the regiment of life at sea. BOWEN ' S pre-deployment dependents cruise took place on April 29, 1987 -just over 1 month before the ship began it ' s June to november Mediterranean deployment. Families and friends of BOWEN sailors em.barked eariy on that Friday morning for the eight hour cruise off the coast of Charieston. As the ship transited the Cooper river, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean, guests listened to a guided tour of the river given by the Public Affairs Officer over the IMC, the ship ' s general announcing circuit. Among the points of interest were the riaval Base itself, third largest home- port in the United States; the Piavy ' s Degaussing Station, which neutralizes a ship ' s magnetic field; the twin Cooper River bridges, built in 1929 and 1966; Patriot ' s Point, home of WWII aircraft carrier Yorktown; the City of Mount Pleasant; the Battery, featuring classic architecture from the civil war era; Ft. Johnson and Ft. Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired; and buoy ' Two Char- lie „the sea bouy which marks the approach to Charies- ton harbor from the sea. In addition to tours of the ship, guests were treated to a noon meal on the ships mess decks. BOWEN re- turned to her Charieston naval Base berth at the end of the day, having satisfied yet another pre-deployment requirement. Bowenlife 23

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f4 N V r Above, CDR Richard A. Robbins, right, formally relieves CDR Robert D. Moser, left, as Commanding Officer of USS BOWErs (rF-1079). CDR Charles Robbins, brother of the new Commanding Offi- cer, and Mrs. Dorothy Robbins, motlicr, arrive on BOWEM S quarterdeck for the change of command ceremony. Mrs. Dianna Reynolds, left, wife of BTCS John Reynolds, and Mrs. Michelle Bastin, right, wife of HMl Michael Bastin, during the change of command ceremony. Shifting Colors The GUARD Changes CDR Richard A. Robbins re- lieved CDR Robert D. Moser as Commanding Officer of USS BOWEH (rF-1079) on May 29, 1987, just seven days before the ship began a six month Mediterra- nean deployment. The ceremony took place at 10:00 a.m. on a warm, clear day in Charleston on the ship s flight deck. Guest speaker for the change of command was Commodore William A. Earner, Commander, Destroyer Squadron Four, BOWEH ' S home- port squadron. Below, VADM Harold Q, Bowen, Jr. (retired), right, arrives on Bowen s quarterdeck for the change of com- mand. After being piped on board by BMl John Harris, center, the re- tired Admiral was escorted to his seat by LCDR Paul Allen, left, Bow- en s Executive Officer. USS Bowen was named for VADM Bowens fa- ther, who was also a vice admiral in the United States navy. Following the playing of the na- tional Anthem, the invocation and Commodore Earners remarks, CDR Moser made his own remarks, summing up his tour as BOWEI ' S Commanding Officer. He concluded by reading his own orders, then tumed to CDR Robbins and said I stand ready to be relieved . CDR Robbins then read his orders and said Captain Moser, I relieve you. Sir ' , becoming BOWEn ' S ninth Commanding Officer. QMCM Wil- liam C. Reed, BOWEns Command Master Chief, then presented CDR Moser with the ship s commission- ing pennant. The ceremony concluded with the Mavy Band playing Anchors Aweigh. In the following days, while CDR Moser prepared himself for his next assignment, on the staffof Anti-Sub- marine Warfare Training Group, Atlantic in riorfolk, Virginia, CDR Robbins and BOWEN began final preparations for the Mediterranean cruise. Above, BOWEM sailors in formation at the rear of the flight deck ' • observe the ceremony. Bowenlife 25