Bowen (FF 1079) - Naval Cruise Book

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Clockwise, from right: While care- fully monitoring Bowens position in relation to a replenishment ship, CDR Robbins discusses a com- munications problem with LT Guy Zanti, Operations Officer. During an underway replenishment. Bow- en receives between 60-100.000 gallons of fuel from an oiler; CDR Robbins seated in the Captains chair on the bridge during battle group steaming; below. CDR Robbins reviews a report at a table in his cabin. XO tour is demanding LCDR Paul S. Allen reported aboard USS BOWEM as prospective Exec- utive Officer on September 22, 1986. Its probably the toughest tour I ' ve had but also the most rewarding, he said. LCDR Allen has served In billets on both coasts and even In Australia. Following commissioning, he be- came Communications Division Officer In USS CGMSTELLATlOn (CV-64) and then Assistant First Lieutenant aboard LCDR Paul Allen, left. Executive Officer, served as the ship ' s navigator and principal •Klministrator of command policy during his USS BLUERIDGE (LCC-19). His first shore tour was In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii at the Human Resource Management Center. After graduating from Surface War- fare Department Head School, he be came Weapons Officer of USS BAGLEY (rr-1069) and then Operations Officer on USS SAM BERnARDIMO (LST- 1 189). Mis nc, t shore tour was at the Rciyal Australian naval Statt College, where he completed a six month program for na- val officers. Affcr attending Prospective Execu- tive Officer school, LCDR Allen became BOWEnS XO. McdcscribedBOWEn ' Scrcwas ' thc best 1 ve ever worked with. V 50 Crew members

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Tar left, the ship ' s self-defense force gathers around a .50 cal gun nt on the 02 level. RMl Rich LIttlefreld and rC2 Eu- gene Christopher, left, on the quar- terdeck in Malaga, Spain. Standing bridge watch during ship handling drills are, from right, SR Mark Planer, SM Donald McCombs, t:MS Mitch Paul and EMS Greg Mo- ses. MMl Michael Bastin, below, an internal medicine text book at his desk in sick bay. Operations Officer LT Guy Zanti, Above, RMSN Matt Frank and RM2 left, reading Bill Cosbys book. Fa- Steven Tipton on the ship ' s signal therhoodin his stateroom. LT Zanti bridge. Maples, Italy is in the back- became engaged to LTJG Kathleen ground. Murray, food services officer of USS Yellowstone (AD-41) during the Vil- lefranche, France port visit. Crew members 49

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I Al The Commanding Officer of a U.S. navy warship always makes the TougH decisfons ommander Richard ■ Alan Robbins took com- .Z mand of USS BOWEH during a ceremony on the ships flight deck on May 29, 1987, Just 1 8 days before the Mediterra- nean cruise began. Me described the deployment as a rewarding experience. It was great, because BOW- EM did what she was commis- sioned for, he said. We en- joyed outstanding operational successes against real world ' targets. At the same time, BOW- EN sailors were tremendous ambassadors of our country. CDR Robbins attributed BOW- EM ' S achievements during the cruise to the quality of the crew. They are outstanding — the best I ' ve ever served with, he said. That ' s what makes my job a real pleasure. ' CDR Robbins began his Fiaval career at the U.S. naval Acad- emy in 1965. At that time in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ar- kansas, there was no higher honor for a young man than win- ning an appointment to Anna- polis or West Point. Me graduated on June 4, 1969 with a Bachelor of Science de- gree in history. 1 leamed the fundamental traits of leadership there, he said of his four year naval Acad- emy education. LCDR Allen and CDR bobbins review the daily incoming message traffic in the Captains cabin. The Commanding Officer and Executive Officer work closely together on a daily basis, dealing with administrative and operation- al issues effecting the ship and crew. Following his graduation, CDR Robbins served aboard USS RICH (DD-820), and was the commissioning Anti-Sub- marine Warfare Officer of USS ALYWin (rr-1081). In February, 1975 CDR Robbins received a Master of Science degree in Operations Research at the naval Postgrad- uate School in Monterey, Cali- fornia. After graduating from the Sur- face Warfare Department Head School in newport, Rhode Is- land, CDR Robbins reported aboard USS BUCHANAn (DDG- 14) as Weapons Officer. He then joined the Chief of naval Opera- tions staff. In 1981, CDR Robbins re- turned to sea as Executive Offi- cer of USS ELIOT (DD-967). He remained at sea for his next tour as Chief Staff Officer of Destroyer Squadron Twenty One. After returning to the Chief of naval Operations Staff, he re- ceived orders to report to BOW- EN as Commanding Officer. it ' s a very exhilarating expe- rience, CDR Robbins said in describing commanding a ship. At the same time, not a minute goes by when you don ' t feel the responsibility for everything that goes on. You ' re the one that has to make the tough deci- sions, day or night. It ' s got to go downhill from here, he added, because I ' m in the best Job in the navy, so everything else will be anti-cli- mactic. It will never get any better, he said. During the Antalya, Turkey port vis- it, Bowen hosted a flight deck re- ception for local military and civil- ian officials. Above are CDR Robbins and the local Piaval atta- che for the Anatolian region. Crew members 5 X