Chandler (DDG 996) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDER DESTROYER SQUADRON I TWENTY-THREE CAPTAIN WILLIAM H. KERSTING, USN William Henry Kersting was born in New York City, New York and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Sept 1951 and served as a Radarman in USS CUSHING IDD 7971 and USS FRONTIER IAD 251. He attended Officers Candidate School and was commissioned in June 1956. He was promoted to his rank of Captain on 1 Feb 1978. His initial sea tour as an officer was in USS BROWN IDD 5461 followed by assignment to USS NE WELL IDER 3221 where he served as Gunnery Officer. He was next assigned as OfHcer-in-Charge of USS ALBERT T. HARRIS IDE 4471. From October 1961 to November 1963 he served as Commanding Officer of USS MIDDLESEX COUNTY ILST 9831 and then reported to Beach Jumper Unit ONE where he served as Executive Officer and subsequently as Commanding Ofhcer. In August of 1966 he reported to the newly established Naval Special Warfare Group, Western Pacific Detachment, homeported in Okinawa, where he was assigned as Assistant Ofhcer-in-Charge and then Officer-in-Charge. He next commanded USS CONQUEST IMSO 4881 from April 1968 to November 1969 and then served as Chief Staff Officer of MINE FLOTILLA THREE. In July 1971 he assumed command of USS HOLLISTER IDD 7881. In FEB 1973 he reported to U.S. Naval Station, Subic Bay, R.P., for duty as Executive Officer. From Sept 1974 to July 1975 he attended Verne College under the College Degree Completion Program. In August of 1975 he joined the Staff of Commander Cruiser - Destroyer Group ONE as Surface Opera tions Officer. He then served 1, in the ofHce of the Chief of Naval Operations from Sept 1977 to OCT 1978. From 17 Nov 1978 to 20 Aug 1980 he was assigned as Commander MINE SQUADRON FIVE. On 29 Oct 1980 he assumed command of U.S. Naval Station, Subic Bay. Captain Kersting's personal decorations include the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit with Star and Combat V , the Bronze Star Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal with star and Combat V . Captain Kersting is married 'to the former Eva L. Tucker of Tonkawa, Oklahoma. They reside in San Diego, California.

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It . , USS CHANDLER IDDG 9961, the 3rd ship of the fleet to bear this name, was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her keel was laid on 7 May 1979, and commissioned on 13 March 1982 by Mrs. Theodora Hoskinson. CHANDLER is one of four United States Navy Guided Missile Destroyers of the Kidd Class. She is a 563 foot destroyer which incorporates many hull and engineering features of the Spruance IDD 9631 Class destroyers. The weapons suite aboard CHANDLER is very similar to that aboard the Virginia ICGN 381 Class nuclear powered cruisers. This combination optimizes speed and economy, while also making CHANDLER one of the most powerful ships at sea in terms of strike capability. At over 9200 tons, CHANDLER is one of the largest destroyers in the fleet and carries a formidable array of both offensive and defensive weapons and electronic systems. The ship is designed to operate in a multi-threat environment: countering air, surface and subsurface threats simultan- eously. PROPULSION ...... ..... 4 General Electric LM-2500 Marine Gas Turbine Engines ftotal-80,000 shaft horse power1 AIRCRAFT ..... ...... O ne SH-3 or Two SH-2 Helicopters WEAPONS ..... ...... T wo 5 Inch 54 Cal Gun After commissioning in 1982, CHANDLER proceeded to her homeport, San Diego, California and joined Cruiser Destroyer Group 5 and Destroyer Squadron 9. After a brief shakedown cruise and refresher training, CHANDLER returned to Pascagoula, Miss. for a post shakedown availability period of about 5 months. After PSA, CHANDLER returned to San Diego, Calif and commenced further training for fleet deployment. ln August 1983, CHANDLER was assigned to Cruiser Destroyer Group ONE and Destroyer Squadron 23, and subsequently joined Battle Group BRA VO for her first Western Pacific Deployment. CHANDLER has been Destroyer Squadron 23 Flagship since September 1983. On 1 August 1984, CHANDLER returned from a 6 and a half month deployment with Battle Group BRA VO to the Western Pacihc and Indian Ocean including over 70 days of continuous underway operations. CHANDLER made port visits in Hawaii, Philippines, Korea, and Australia. i Mounts, Anti-Submarine Rockets, Torpedoes Two MK-26 Guided Missile Launchers Harpoon Missile System Two Close-in Weapons System lPhalanx1 I am tired of talking about what the threat is. Let us be the threat I want to read about how Admiral Gorshkov stays awake nights worrying about our threat to his navy. - Admiral Thomas B. Hayward Chief Of Naval Operations 3

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FORMER COMMANDING OFFICER COMMANDER HENRY W STRICKLAND Commander Strickland was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and commissioned Ensign U.S. Navy in June 1966. His first tour of duty following his commissioning was in USS SELLERS IDDG 111. He served in this ship for 3 years, first as Missile Officer, and then as Fire Control Officer. From June to December 1969, Commander Strickland attended U.S. Naval Destroyer School at Newport, Rhode Island, ln December 1969, Commander Strickland reported to USS TOWERS fDDG 92 as Operations Officer. This second shipboard tour was followed by one year of service as an advisor in the Republic of Vietnam. In 1972, Commander Strickland reported to the U.S. Navy Post- graduate School at Monterey, California, where he studied Weapons Systems Engineering. He graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Physics. In 1975 Commander Strickland reported to USS COCHRANE IDDG 211 where he served two years as Executive Ofhcer. After one year of study at the U.S. Naval War College at Newport, Rhode lsland, Commander Strickland served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C. as CG-47 Class Program Coordinator. During his career Commander Strickland has made extended deployments to both the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and the Seventh Fleet in the Western PaciHc. He wears the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation and several campaign service medals. Commander Strickland was born and reared in Jesup. Georgia. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest F. Strickland, life long residents of Jesup. Commander Strickland is married to the former Harriet Nichols, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.A. Nichols, who are natives and residents of Wayne County and Jesup. The Stricklands have two children: Hope, age 14 and John, age 11.