Charleston (LKA 113) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 112 of the 1991 volume:

Table of Contents COM VinND HISTORV 2 CO Vl VinNDING OFFIC€R 4 €X€CUTIV€ OFFIC€R 6 D€CK D€PnRT V €NT 8 OP€RnTIONS D€PnRT V €NT 14 SUPPLV D€PnRTM€NT 20 nDMINISTRRTION D€PnRT V €NT 22 V €DICnL 23 €NGIN€€RING D€PnRT V €NT 24 COAASinHFLT UJ€LCO V € 30 ROTR, SPniN 32 niMCRin, spniN 34 TOULON, FRnNC€ 35 PRLMR, SPniN 40 OP€RnTION PROVIDE COMFORT 42 ISK€ND€RUN, TURK€V 48 HRIFR, ISRn€L 52 RNTRLVn, TURK€V 60 ST€€L R€nCH 64 HUMP DnV 66 UNR6P 68 FLIGHT OPS 70 BORT OPS 72 TIG€R CRUIS€ 76 TH€ CR€UJ, TH€ LOST CRUIS€ 78 SUJO DOGGI€ RRP 94 €DITOR 95 CR6DITS 96 COMMAND HISTORY USS CHARLESTON (LKA 113) is the first ship in the Navy to be designed and construct- ed as an Amphibious Cargo Ship. CHARLESTON was commissioned on 14 December 1968 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. She is capable of cruis- ing at speeds in excess of 20 knots and car- ries the latest advances in habitability and crew comfort. CHARLESTON ' S pride is her main battery of LCM-8 and LCM-6 Landing Craft as well as (8) 15 ton booms, (2) 40 ton and (2) 70 ton booms and she can handle heavy equipment and supplies with greater speed and flexibility than any other ship in the Atlantic Fleet. Since her commissioning, CHARLESTON has seen service in a host of exercises in the Mediterranean, Pacific and Indianii Oceans as well as the Caribbean, North Atlantic and off our East Coast. In the spring of 1971, in company with units of thei; SEVENTH Fleet , CHARLESTON completed an around the world cruise during which she carried building materials and sup- , plies for establishment of Naval Communications Facility at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. When assigned to the Fleet ' s Atlantic Amphibious Ready Group (LARG), CHARLESTON has landed Marines and equipment on Caribbean beaches and has conducted training for foreign Marine and Naval Forces. This ship ' s great flexibility has been demonstrated through a wide variety of surface and helo assault operations. CHARLESTON also participated in the first evacuation of civilians fromi Lebanon in June of 1976. In February 1979 CHARLESTON completed an extensive overhaul in the shipyard and began her second decade of service in the U.S. Navy. i T w - In September 1979. CHARLESTON deployed to the Mediterranean to participate in the NATO Amphibious exercise ' Display Determination 79. In November 1979 CHARLESTON transferred to the Naval Reserve Force and gained the additional responsibility of training Naval Reservists. She entered the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard in July 1982 for an extensive six month over- haul. CHARLESTON reentered the Active Fleet or ' - i=eca ' y 1983. Shortly there- after. CHARLESTON completed AHUAS TARA II. a major amphibious exercise m Honduras. In February 1984. CHARLES- TON participated in exercise UNITED EFFORT-TEAMWORK 84. which consisted of an amphibious landing in Norway and port visits to Belgium. England. Ireland and Spain. August 1984 found CHARLESTON off Florida to cc-d-jct shock :es:5 o- USS JOHN F. KENNEDY and USS YORK- TOWN. CHARLESTON deployed to the Meoiterranean Aprn to November 1986. and participated in exercises SOLID SHIELD in April and SOLAR FLARE in July 1987. After completing a bnef shipyard penod from August to November 1987. CHARLESTON resumed normal amphibious ooe a- ons. In Apnl 1988. CHARLESTON participated in exercise OCEAN VENTURE 88. Following this exercise. CHARLESTON epioyed to the Mediterranean from August 1988 to February 1989 and participated in exercises ■•DISPLAY DETERMINATION 8 ' and -AFRICAN EAGLE 88 while there. In May 1989. CHARLESTON sarticipated in exercise -SOLID SHIELD 89 ' and made port visit to the Bahamas. Having completed an extendea 5n,pyara maintenance penod from September 1989 until March 1990. 1 which a NIXIE Anti-Torpedo System, six Titanium Fire Pumps and a Cargo Magazine were installed as well as major work on ie ship ' s propulsion and auxiliary systems. CHARLESTON is fully prepared for its future Naval objectives. Captain Frank H. Tryon, JR. CAPTAIN FRANK H. TRYON, JR. Captain Tryon was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve in June 1966 after graduating from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island, New York. He entered active duty in August 1966 and served aboard USS O ' BRIEN (DD 725) as Navigator and Administrative Assis- tant and later as Communications Officer. After graduating from the U.S. Navy Destroyer School in May 1969, Captain Tryon reported to the USS MANSFIELD (DD 728) as Engineering Offi- cer. USS MANSFIELD (DD 728) was decommissioned in Febru- ary 1971 and Captain Tryon was then ordered to the Fleet Oper- ations Control Center in London, England where he served as a Plot Watch Officer and an Intelligence Watch Officer. In February 1973, Captain Tryon was ordered to the USS CROCKETT (PG 88) for duty as Commanding Officer. Following this and a tour in the Bureau of Naval Personnel as a rating Assignment Officer, he was assigned to the Naval War College, graduating in August 1978. Captain Tryon served as Executive Officer of the USS TUSCALOOSA (LST 1178) from September 1978 to April 1980, and was then ordered to his second command tour, the USS AFFRAY (MSO 511), where he served from September 1980 until September 1981. In December 1981 Captain Tryon assumed command of the Naval Recruiting District Indianapolis, Indiana where he served until July 1984. Captain Tyron assumed his fourth command, the USS GEORGE PHILIP (FFG 12) in March 1985. In May 1987 he was specifically selected to hold the CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, CHAIR OF NAVAL WAR- FARE at the NATIONAL WAR COLLEGE. He served in this capacity until August 1990. Captain Tryon earned his Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California. Additionally he holds degrees from the Naval War College, in Newport, Rhode Island, and the National War College in Washington, D.C. Captain Tryon is entitled to wear the Defense Meritorious Ser- vice Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, the Navy Achieve- ment Medal with Combat V , the Combat Action Ribbon, and various other service and campaign medals. LCDR Michael S. Giorgino, USNR Executive Officer Jun 91 -Present Lieutenant Commander Giorgino is a native of Bergenfieid. New Jersey. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He was commissioned an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve in August 1977. His sea tours include USS ROARK (FF-1053) as First Lieutenant and Combat Information Center Officer (1977-1981), USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD-39) as Navigator and ROH Coordinator (1984-1986), and USS WADSWORTH (FFG-9) as Ship Control Officer (1987-1988). He served as Operations Officer in USS SHREVEPORT (LPD-12) during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-1991). His shore duty assignments include assignment to Military Sealift Command, Mediterranean as Fleet Auxiliaries Operations Officer (1981-1983). Selected for assignment to the TAR Program in 1984. he served as Commanding Officer of Naval Reserve Center, Mckeesport, Pennsylvania (1988-1990). He is currently assigned as Executive Officer in USS CHARLESTON (LKA-113), where he served in support of Operation Provide Comfort. Lieutenant Commander Giorgino is entitled to wear the Navy Achievement Medal with two Gold Stars, National Defense Service Medal, and Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Star. LCDR Reuben Leon Chris Wright Executive Officer Dec 90-Jun 91 Lieutenant Commander Wright was bom in Madison, Wisconsin, After tiis tattler ' s Honorable Disctiarge from the Air Force, his family resided in Houston, Texas, here he completed all of his formal education, including college. In the fall of 1977, he completed college at the University of Houston. He received his commis- on through the NROTC (crosstown) Program at Rice University (also in Houston, TX) in February 1978. After commissioning, he received orders to Naval Facility T SUR, Big Sur, California as an Ocean Systems Watch Officer until IVIarch, 1980. Lieutenant Commander Wright was then ordered to the USS EL PASO (LKA 17) where he served as Communications Officer and Navigator. He then reported to NROTC Unit Prairie View A M University, Prairie View, Texas, where he srved as a Naval Science Instructor. While at Prairie View A tvl University, he successfully completed a IVIasters Degree in Physical Education. Following com- etion of Department Head School, Lieutenant Commander Wright was then ordered to the USS SCHOFIELD (FFG-3), where he served as the Operations Offi- 3r until November 1987. During this time SCHOFIELD engaged in combat support of the Persian Gulf and Convoy Operations. He then reported to the USS MID- ' AY (CV-41) where he served as Assistant maintenance Officer 3-IVI Coordinator, which also engaged in Persian Gulf and Convoy Operations, until August, 389. Lieutenant Commander Wright reported on board USS CHARLESTON on November 13, 1989. Lieutenant Commander Wright is marned to Lieutenant Commander Sallie H. Gale of Raleigh, North Carolina. DECK DEPARTMENT LT ROY TOM STIEHL FIRST LIEUTENANT CW02 MEADE SHIP ' S BOSN BS _ br 3 ..:. • -l ' . - - - ' • • • ■ • 1 , - : . ' - K S meSi • , -• 1 % LTJG Acuff Ast. First LT I woke up this morning, and I raised my weary head. I had a hard hat tor a pillow. And mam deck was last night ' s bed. Anonymous Boatswain Mate First Division LT Michael Corrado BM1 Harris BM2 Knight BM2 Gibson BM3 Bixby BM3 Pierson BM3 Giogia BM3 Keffer BM3 Gabel BM3 Hewitt SN Paraham SN Haddon SN Lewis SN Bell SN Gella SN Williams SN Carlin SN Parker SN Kam SN Whipp SN George SR Myers SA Allen SA Johnson SN Hamilton SA Johnson SR Brown SA Roberts SN Packard SR Hill SN Martin J 2ND Ensign Stokes JHB SMC Richmond DIV BM1 Guyton BM2 Hyatt BM3 Schuman BM3 Greathouse BM3 Anderson BM3 Pease BM3 Richardson BM3 Macawih BM3 Vanness SN Miller SN Hart SN Wilken SN Lafferty SA Stadler SA Miles SN Barczewski SA Williamson SA Braucht SN Bierwirth SN McEldowny SA MaCillwain SA Staples SN Lane ABH2 Carey SA Gomez SN Decker SA DeMartinis SR Taylor SA Gray SA Durham 10 3RD DIV LT Taylor BM1 Johnson BM3 Beck BM1 Ryder BM2 Meek BM3 lazetta BM3 Webber RMS McQueeri BM3 Alinda BM3 Deloach SN Swartz BM3 Casarez SA McKinney SN Ausberry SN Warning SN Lewis BM3 Battle SN Howard SA Buxton SN Childree SR Tyrcz SR Wilson SA Disola SA Games BM2 Gorbea 11 . 4TH DIV LT Sparks GMC St Moritz GMG1 Wiggins GMG2 Retherford GMG2 Penland GMG3 McLaughlin GMG3 Rueda GMG 3 Chonggum GMG3 Perry GMG3 Dennard SN Bntt GMG3 Brown Proud Gunner ' s Mates pose with their new 25mnn Chain Gun. 12 STREAM DIV LTJG Witten ENC Adolph g gj MM 1(SW) Steven EMI Kozak MM1(SW) Herrick BM1 Vasquez BM2 Hosang EM3 Ruby BM3 Kyle EN2 Tory BM3 Williams SA Albright SA Daniels FN Delaney SA Boone FA Smith. L. SR Traskowski BM2 Varner EMFN Murphy SR Bowen SN Dutan SA Allen SN Smith, J.T. 13 . Op efiatccM cfranttHC IWP LT Mark Keller Operations Officer AUG90-MAY91 LT Mark Brandewie Operations Officer MAY 91 -JULY 91 14 it AA atc(M LT Brandewie Navigator QMC(SW) James ii QM1 Distaso QM1 Anderson QMS Edwards QM3 Mcintosh !«► tc dM 1 , SL QM3 Davis 4l . ' QM3Cook QMS Arnold 15 I CDmrnuNiTiDNS LT Pasquale COMMO RMC Walker RHDO EMI Rudolph RM2 Fowler RMS Weese RM3 Stacey RMSA Harris RMSA Litton RMS Sims RMS Johnson RMSA James RM1 Jackson RM3 Robinson RMSA Fearnow SlGNHLfTlEN SMI Bert SMI Curtsinger SM2 Clawson SMS Feliciano SMS Washington SMS Leapley SMSN Flack SMSN Hill SMS Washington RMSN Campbell 16 ELECTRONIC REPHIR HND flHHlNTENHNCE LTJG Webber EMO 1 ETCS (SW) (AW) Hochmuth iMJ jn B f? ET1 (SW) Moran ET2 (SW) Rivard ET2 Orson EW2 Splain EW3 Anderson ET3 Aquino m ET3 Anderson EW1 Hickson EWSN Evangelista EWSN Elm ET3 Pecze LTJG Webber maae every attempt to stiow it was possible to run a division from his rack. 17 camBRT M LT Stokes CIC Officer 0S1 Gregory OS2 Robinson 0S2 Cole 052 Strowd 053 Booker 0S3 Kucher 0S3 Daise OSSN Hobbs OSSA Miller OSSN Fisher FC1{AW) Fiala FC3 Porter FC3 Ulmer FC3 Funk OSSN Bond OSSA Fields FC2(SW) Strozier OSSA Brinson iiii 18 FC3 Porter and QM3 Macintosh talk- ing boy talk. LT Stokes led his men through the rigors of the deploy- ment with a combination of strength, intelligence, and great taste in beer. 0S1 Sykes and EW3 Anderson. 19 SKC (SW) Charles SH1 Bryson SKI Tyree SK2 Hutchinson SK2 Back SK3 Singleton SK3 Hall SH2 Sheehan SH3 Weifenbach SKSN Murden SKSN Marcum SHSACIaspell SHSN Smith SHSN Beyer SKSN Ladiero SUPPLY LT Moody Supply Officer ihik SKSN Garcia SHC Rilvena 20 MIA MSCS GailLicci From Right to Left ' .1S1 Rasmussen VS1 Clarke ' . ' S2 Vetanze ' . ' S2 Lorasch ' ,1S3 Manell MS3 Marshall MS3 Gore MS3 Mollis ' . ' S3 Dunlap ' . ' S3 Coles •. ' SSFelton ' . ' SSN Snider ' . ' SSA Williams 21 ADMIN LT Matt Dolan Admin Officer PNC Glover Admin Officer Mar 91-Aug 91 MMC Monroe 3M Coordinator BTCM(SW) Alexander Command Master Chief MAC(SW) Oxendine Chief Master at Arms NCI Brown YN2 Lamb YN2 Wilson PN3 Wright PN3 Christianson PC3 Cornelius YN1 Stebelton PN3 Bailey PNSA Bourne Combat Cargo CW02 Richard Clark Combat Cargo Officer GYSGT Williams Combat Cargo Assistant 22 mt.  _ it r l ledlcal c Department 0 A LT Jay L, Sparks Medical Officer MB HMC(AW) Szejniuk HIVI1 Jones HM2 Alvarez HM3 Baxter HM3 Roberts HM3 Leisz Hospital Corpsman ' s Pledse I solemnly pledse myself before God and these witnesses to practice faithfully all of my duties as a member of the Hospital Corps. I hold the care of the sick and injured to be a privilege and a scared trust and will assist the Medical Officer with loyalty and honesty. I will not knowingly permit harm to come to any patient. I will hold all personal matters pertaining to the private lives of patients in strict confidence. I dedicate my heart, mind, and strength to the work before me. I shall do all within my power to show in myself an example of all that is honorable and good throughout my naval career 23 ai Engineering Department Lt S. J. Hazard Chief Engineer CW03 Rimmer MPA BTCS Pierce BTC (SW) D ' Andrea MMC Woodfill BTC Mclain BT(SW) Davey MM1 Colvin BT1 Hart BT1 Donelson MM1 Storey BTI(SW) Hayes MM1 Blair MM2 Watson BT2 Biddle BT2 (SW) Williams MM2 Dalton BT2 Hair MM3 Hawkins BT3 Ctiavez MM3 Sargent MM3 Jordan BT3 Wooten MM3 Owens MM3 Ctiester BT3 Quinones MM3 Blunt MM3 Loy BT3 Cutkelvin FA Gates FA Gagliardo FA Ahrens BTFA Abalos MMFN Waldo MMFN Belfield FN Spady BTFA Holden BTFA Beattie 24 MMFN Rowe BTFN Lassiter BTFN Pittiko BTFN McCauley MMFN Bed FA Dell FA Cantu Repair Division CW02 Sinner DCCS (SW) Smith CT DCKSW) Lee DCI(SW) Russell HT1 Donahue HT1 Pope HT2 Walters MR2 Siggers DC2 Spilak DC2 Holmstrom DC2 Geffre HT3 Strack HT3 Burke DCFN Walker FN Wiley FN Daniels DCFN Penn FN Pinson FN Boss FN Peters HTFA Graham FR Saunders FN Buckson 25 AUXILIARIES LT Bernardo LTJG West LTJG Quynn ENC Feenstra MMC Morns EN1 Emerson MMI(SW) Sion MM1 Wonch MM1 Clayton EN2 Brown EN2 Arnold EN2(SW) Martino MM3 Huffman ME3 Granger MM3 Melctiers MM3 Potter ENS Gilpen EN3 White MMFN Swick ENFN Brinson FA Brown ENFN Immonen MMFN Brooks t A ' h g g g g ENFA Hudson FN Goodlow ENFN loppolo FN Blackmon ENFN Cantore EN2 Watson I I 26 St ss II LTJG Valle EMCS Mason i? ICC Hipshier iJ EMI Presas IC2 Seattle 102 Ellis EM2 Szucs EM2 Taylor EM2 Glass EM3 Ring EM3 King IC3 Love IC3 Ware EM3 Emplitt EMS Tucker EM3 Vines ICFN Davis EMFN Heiser PR Salome EMFA Debold EMFN Enwin EMFN Rosende ICFN Trevino EMFA Benedith EMFN Brockway EMFN Cooper EMFN Tonel 27 28 THE SNIPE ' S LAMENT Now each of us from time to time, has gazed upon the sea. And matched the warships pulling out. to keep this country free. And most of us ha%e read a book, or heard a lust tale. About the men who sail these ships, through lightning, wind and hail. But there ' s a place within each ship, that legends fail to teach. It ' s down below the water line, it takes a living toll A hot metal living hell, that sailors call the hole. It houses engines run b steam, that makes the shafts go round. A place of fire and noise and heat, that beats your spirits down. here boilers like a hellish heart, w ith blood of angry steam. Are of molded gods without remorse, are nightmares in a dream. Whose threat that from the fires roar, is like li ing doubt. That any minute would with scorn, escape and crush you out. Where turbines scream like tortured souls, alone and lost in hell. As ordered from above somewhere, they answer every bell. The men who keep the fires lit. and make the engines run. Are strangers to the world of night, and rarely see the sun. They have no time for man or God. no tolerance for fear. Their aspect pays no li ing thing, the tribute of a tear. For there ' s not much that men can do. that these men ha%en t done. Beneath the decks, deep in the hole, to make the engines run. And every hour of every day . they keep the watch in hell. For if the fires ever fail, their ship ' s a useles s shell. W hen ships converge to have a war. upon an angry sea. The men below just grimly smile, at what their fate might be. They ' re locked in below like men fore doomed, who hear no battle cry. It ' s well assumed that if they ' re hit. the men belo N will die. For every day ' s a war down there, when the gauges all read red. Six hundred pounds of heated steam, can kill you mighty dead. So if you ever write their sons, or try to tell their tale. The very words would make you hear, a fired furnace ' s wail. And people as a general rule, don ' t hear of men of steel. So little ' s heard about the place, that sailors call the hole. But I can sing about this place, and try to make you see. The hardened life of men down there, cause one of them is me. I ' ve seen these sweat soaked hero ' s fight, in superheated air. To keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they ' re there. And thus they ' ll fight for ages on. till warships sail no more. Amid the boiler ' s mighty heat, and the turbine ' s hellish roar. So when vou see a ship pull out. to meet a warlike foe. Remember faintly if vou can. THE MEN WHO SAIL BELOW. Author unknown 29 COMMANDER SIXTH FLEET WELCOMES CHARLESTON TO THE MED left: A minor sweat-ex on the quarterdeck in preparation for the visit. Below: LTJG Acuff, the Officer of the Deck, wel- comes the Admiral, I [[ •A The date was 6 February. 1991 The United States was at war. The minds and hearts of the 600 sailors and marines aboard the Charleston were full of excitement, anticipation, and fear. Would we be joining the forces in the gulf? Would we be able to con- tribute to the cause? Would some of us die in the process? The Admiral gave a few quick words of encouragement and sent us on our way. The questions remained. 30 There is no way this guy Is going to try to cut In front of us. No way. He ' s not that stupid. Absolutely no way he ' ll try ... HOLY S !% SMS Washington doesn ' t even attempt to feign Inter- est in the fact that he ' s on the bridge for Sea and Anchor detail. ROTA SPAIN SN Dalse and SN Wllken enjoy a beer or twelve at one of the seve al fine clubs on base in Rota. tm — — The Gulf war necessitated heightened security measures In Rota Liberty was restricted to the base. paries orders four hot dogs as BM2 Knight looks on. Members of Stream Division In Rota. rew members had to be frisked before boarding the ship. Almeria, Spain Two days after our departure from Rota the Marg 1-91 units pulled into Almeria, Spain. The marines conducted their first ashore exercise of the deployment while the blue side conducted turnover with MARG 3-90 ships. After a short stay in Almeria, the ships took part in an amphibious exercise off the coast of Corsica. During a beach assault, two of CHARLESTON ' S LCM 8 boats were seriously damaged by extremely large seas. Luckily there were no serious injuries. CHARLESTON, GUADALCANAL, AND AUSTIN steamed into Toulon, France in late February for a mini-overhaul period. 34 TOULON, FRANCE Captain Tryoa and tbe Coanins Officer. LTJG Pasquale. set a little belp puUins into Toakm fiom : prereis. SX francjos and SKC Cbaiies. The port ot Toukm and tbe beautiful backdmp of Mount Fetoo. 35 having fun in .... 36 TOULOm w )! tJBm 1 St t t£ pn r - i k V P 1 ■c i-j 37 LT Bernardo and LT Taylor rode their bicycles to the top of Mt. Perron. SA McKinney at the Isola 2000 Ski Area in the French Alps. LT Taylor, LTJG Witten, and MS3 Ange at Isola 2000 %v : . 38 Though Toulon was a working port, the crew managed to spend a good amount of time on liberty. The marines were busy doing another exercise in the field for a portion of the time in Toulon. They did manage to have an athletic challenge cup between the different units. The Charleston Navy basketball team won the overall IVIarg champi- onship. The readiness status we were required to be in made tours difficult to commit to but the CHARLESTON managed to get a one day ski trip to the southern French Alps There were a few disappointed sailors on the CHARLESTON when it was announced we would be unable to participate in the overnight tours to the ski slopes and Pans. After a busy and productive stay in Toulon that lasted nearly a month, the f IARG set sail for a short underway penod and an eagerly anticipated port visit to PALMA de rwlALLORCA. r Corrado pretends to play with his camera while attempting to figure A how to get out of going down the slope to his certain death. 39 MM1 Clyton, BT1 Davey Downtown Palma About 60 miles off the coast of Spain there sits Isle de Mallorca. Palma is the center of a huge tourism industry and has long been a favorite liberty port for sailors. CHARLESTON pulled into Palma in late March when the days were mild, the nights cool, and the water frigid. The major crush of tourists was a couple months away but the Easter holiday ensured plenty of activity. Scene ry was plentiful as evidenced by LT Corrado and LTJG Taylor (right) who can ' t help but notice some talent at a small pub in Magaluf. 40 Magaluf was another small village just up the coast from Raima and was the center of the night life. The HARD ROCK CAFE (left) was just one of the many popular spots. Since most dance clubs didn ' t start hoppin ' until well after midnight, it was common practice to pref- ace your dancing with a little drinking and a lot of begging at one of the smaller pubs. LT Brandewie does some work (below) at Papa ' s English Pub in Magaluf. All roads seem to lead to The BCM MUSIC EMPIRE in Magaluf (center). Reputedly the largest dance club in Europe, the BCM club was always packed, always loud, and always pumping until the wee hours of the morning. The BCM experience was enough to leave even seasoned veterans in a vegetative state for hours or even days. Other veterans, like Suppo (left) preferred to spend their free time relaxing in other ways. 41 DESPERATE TIMES DESPERATE PEOPLE OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT 42 It was the first week of April. 1 991 . The conflict in Iraq had ended with a lopsided victory for the allied coalition. The ships of MARG 1-91 had never left the safety of the Western Med. The ships had just left Raima and were participating in an allied exercise off the coast of Sardinia when the call arrived from CINCUSNAVEUR: ■ Backload all equipment immediately and proceed east at best speed available. After a miraculous back-load the ships headed toward the East- ern Med. Along the way our mission became slightly more focused. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds in Northern Iraq were being forced to flee Saddam Hussien ' s soldiers. They had escaped to the north. Thousands of Kurds were dying daily in wretched conditions in the mountains. Our mission was to provide them with aid. Within one week of the arrival of the MARG in Iskenderun, Turkey, an initial contingent of our troops was in the field. As ten- sion mounted with the occupying Iraqi forces, it became necessary to send virtually all of the group ' s troops and resources. The men made the long journey to the mountains and started setting up tent cities and providing medical and food supplies to the Kurds. Within two weeks after the first call to the MARG. OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT was in full swing. 43 |- Welcome ' lekelimia ' ii -,: Geldlniz I Jk m A formal greeting awaited our men as they crossed the border into Iraq. A lone gutted tank in the desert. An ominous reminder of death and destruction. ' • t 44 ■k A cache of captured rockets and grenades in Northern Iraq. BM1 Bob Gifford with a captured 25mm anti-aircraft gun. BM1 Gifford and the other members of Special Boat Unit 20 accompanied the Mannas and SEAL ' S dunng the operation. 45 Members of the Charleston s Rhib boat DET Inside and outside their tent at Provide Comfort Base Camp. 46 Right- A place some thought we ' d never leave; The pier at Iskenderun, Turkey. Iskenderun, Turkey 4 TVSflST 1 1 The pier in Iskenderun as seen from the boat nest (above). Vehicles awaiting the post operation wash-down were staged (below) then washed on huge portable racks (nght). Left: Every city in Turkey has a statue of Attaturk, the greatest hero in the history of the country. So revered is Attaturk, that acts of disrespect toward him can result in seri- ous punishment. Cargo Handling Operations were com mon while in Iskenderun 49 We worked hard. We couldn ' t go into town. We needed recre- ation. Thus the birth of ... ON THE PIER! Top: Beer was plentiful Middle: ENC Feenstra. LT Bernardo, and EM2 Szucs enjoy a BUD. Right: DCA. EM3 Granger, and HT2 Strack prefer Coors and Lite, i ' tG6Kcr.3 5. ' •£ GaucC up PuScS aTiC Gr.jOjcC a Ii ' iu Cur. death defying ride to the U.S. Air Force Base at Incerlik. Turkey. There we shopped, made phone calls, and like LT Stiehl is doing above, just enjoyed a change in ttie scenery. Pier Jogging. Doc Sparks and LCDR Giorgino work on their aerobic conditkKiing and tans. 51 Hai a, hnxxd Once all the marines had been put ashore in Turkey, Charleston made the day trip south to Haifa. Israel. We enioyed a nearly two week long stay. It was another working port and much was accomplished while we were ported at the shipyard. LTJG Valle and Ringo stand outside the USO, Haifa IS a ma|or port in the IVIed for the fleet, and the USO there are tremendous hosts. Beautiful girls, many of them combat trained, abound- ed. EMS Ring and a new found friend. DK1 Penson, DK3 Romero, and SK3 Singleton. ENS Stokes was one of the many Charleston crew members who took advantage of the many tour opportunities. Popular tours included tnps to the Sea of Galilee and a local horseback tour. Unfortunately, tours to the Old City of Jerusalem and overnight tours of Tel Aviv, popular with the other ships in port Haifa, were off limits to Charleston due to the risk of terronst activities. 53 Models sport the latest and greatest in European fashion (above and left) at a show in a mall in Haifa. This was just one of the many events sponsored by the USO. Whether it be Palma, Toulon, Virginia Beach, or Haifa, LTJG Valle gets more than his share of these kinds of responses to his sweet talk. (Below) 54 Above: EN2 Arnold, EN3 Gilpen, HT3 Burke, MM3 Swick, EM2 Taylor, and DC1 Lee relax outside the USO. Haifa was the target of several Iraqi missile attacks. This Skud (right) hangs in a mall and is one of the reminders of a conflict that drastically affected the lives of all Israeli ' s. Champs of the Med is what they called themselves. These members of Engineering Department (below) took on and defeated any challengers on their beach. 55 Diamonds are a girl ' s best friend so ENC Adolph (top) wants to be sure he gets the best The waitress is appalled, as would have been anybody seeing BT1 Mumm plant this one on LTJG Valle (left). EM3 Rosende and EMS Cooper at the Dead Sea (center). k I M MM3 Potter. EMCS Mason, and MM1 Sion (above). Elvis lives in Israel, too. FC3 Ulmer. EM3 Rosende, and EMS Cooper at the Elvis Restaurant. Above: This is not a postcard ' LTJG Witten snapped this profession- al quality photo of the Synagogue at Capernanum. Below; OSSA Jones gets a little funky with a local shopkeeper. Community Action Project, Haifa, Israel Father Parisi. MS3 Manell. GMG3 Brown, DC1 Russel. BM1 Johnson, IC2 Ellis, and SN Ladiero were some of the Charleston sailors who participated in the project at the Chil- dren ' s Hospital of Haifa. ih- m gj g ' ' Ifflj HH III! ■■;_■■ - ,▼-■- ■ . ' H K IIIIII jcj l I H - ' 1 1 — — r- — ' w BE - 58 Jl ik ' : a , J A Clockwise from above: DC1 Russell, SN Dutan, SKSN Garcia. Father Parisi, BT2 Hair and DC1 Russell. Not everyone is born with a strong mind and strong body. But those who are less fortunate still need and deserve love and care. The USS CHARLESTON makes it a point to do their part by fre- quently participating in charitable events both at home and abroad. The work is never easy and is very often emotionally taxing, but the results are always positive and self-satisfaction immense. T U R K E Y ANTALYA mjp ' Bji p IT rmwAT mm mbcct to nw HAnoua ■1 Itt B Hb Jl THfMMf nUMMIIft.aCSr«KAIITtAmMZA«nOMTUMMUi 1 CHARLESTON made two trips to Antalya, Turkey. Above is the gate to the Old City. f f [ ■2 3 « ' H H V BL. |[ Antalya ' s statue of Attaturk. Don ' t tread or do otherwise on me. 60 There were many outdoor, covered dining areas available. Food was good but the effect it had on one ' s digestive system was another story. Antalya was a charming combination of classic medieval and modern archi- tecture. (Right and Below) 61 ,- hi V Left: During the first visit to Antalya, the ship was anchored out. Luckily, upon our return we were granted a pier-side berth which eliminated the many watches and boat runs necessary when at an anchorage. ■v ' r ; ■ -«  -a« -«s : Right: The Sheraton Hotel was the local hot spot. It offered a casino, a huge buffet in the restaurant, clear blue swimming pools, five-star lodging, and for patrons of one of the hotel bars, the dance show seen here. Left: EN2 Tory chillin ' at the Command Fourth of July picnic. The picnic was sponsored by Welfare and Rec and was enjoyed by all. (some more than oth- ers!) Shopping was a ma|or attraction. At top left, Fatlner Pan si, Cap- tain Tryon, and LT Sparks check out handmade Turkish Rugs. Above: CW02 Clark looks simply ravishing in a full length fur by Zarna Cavancci. Above; BMCS Jones checks out the deals in the outdoor market. To the right, a craftsman carves Mershem pipes in front of his shop. Excellent deals were to be had on rugs, leather and gold. STEEL BEACH Below: Catching a few rays on the flight deck in Iskenderun. Above: Why are these men wearing green shorts? Because they are marines. What else are they supposed to do underway? 64 If It never got dark, these marines would never have to leave the flight deck. They could live off the energy they gather through photosynthesis (left). Below: BM1 Gifford and friends cook chicken. ■e: BT3 Moscato temporanly reverts to the fe tal stage. The Dd ole Boys (right) YN1 Smith. Ht 2 Alverez. SIVll singer, and manager HtVII Jones jam on the flight deck. Above: MM1 Stevens tries to lick the table clean. Clock- wise from right: LTJG Valle and EM3 Tonel were three of the contestants in the beauty contest. OVER THE HUMP DAY CELEBRATION DRAWS HUNDREDS FOR HOURS OF PIE EATING, SUN TANNING, BEAUTY CONTEST WATCHING FUN! 66 CH€RRV The beouty conleslanls mere nothing special. FN Smith, AMI Ryder, and SN Suuartz aiere doiunright repulsive. Then Cherry Pie ujolkcd on the stoge. She uuos tall, thin, and hod long blonde hair that fell thickly to her tuaist. Rnd after over three months of being overseas, she looked good. Real good. Cherry Pie strutted her stuff on the flight deck, moving gracefully to the pumping sounds of lUarrent ' s song by the some name. She sat on the Captain ' s lap, shoujed a lot of leg, and aihen she accepted the uuinner ' s bouquet, she uios thankful and shy. Thank you, Cherry Pie! 67 UNREP CHARLESTON was lucky enough to be the recipient of the last pallet of cargo USS SYLVANIA unrepd during her MED Cruise, (left and below) J D, J D A Above: A CH-46 prepares to deliver a pallet of cargo during VERTREP. 70 Members of the Flight Deck Crew- 71 BOAT OPERATIONS SN Warning m: y ( 1 During the six and one half month deployment CHARLESTON ' S boats were on the water for thousands of hours. The men of third division and A-gang kept them running At right. EN2 Marlino. ENFN Brinson. and EN2 Arnold take a break. Besides being used for countless cargo operations and as liberty boats. CHARLESTON operated boats that were used as paint barges and even a garbage scow, (below) Got a line around the prop shaft ' No problem, just send EN3 White, a former SEAL down with a large knife. Sure enough, the boat was operational in 5 minutes, (below) SN Hewitt 6ri Jiae f 1 - Nearly 100 male dependents and friends met CHARLESTON in Moore- head City and rode ttie last leg back to Norfolk, Above. LCDR Giorgino wel- comes ttie Tigers aboard- CW02 tvleades son. Michael, led the charge up the brow, (right) Below are EM3 Rosende and his brother. For many of the Tigers, it was their first time aboard ship. For others it was old hat. Whether veteran or rookie Tigers, fun was had by all. 76 23 January, 1991. Charleston departs for her last MED. 77 Above: Cannes, France, Below: LCM 8-1 lost Its bow ramp in heavy seas off tfie coast of Corsica, Below, center: Vehicles staged on the pier in Iskenderun, Turkey after Operation Provide Comfort. ■k- ' -.t s.s ' r T p :M n. I £ 1 FR. JO ' J ' « -«fe« ■- £ IS ■ r II « JLika f fj •.! a es R mnTLES CREUJ RAMBOATS? Then this is my speed draw. Rusty. They call me Lethal Weapon IV. Cheng gnaws his nails. Key to getting outstandings on all Deck Selex ' s? Have former Deck Department Senior Chief CW02 Taylor, now Bosn of the Austin, grade them for you I know I ' m on shore patrol but Im just holding this beer for someone, really. Uh huh |! Above: A young Turkish beauty. Above: I swear she ' s my sister. Right: Is this how they have fun in GSK late at night? Open wide, Chief! At left, LT Brandewie and LTJG Taylor dis- cuss strategy for tfie next leg of ttie Giro de Mallorca. Below, Captain Tryon and LTCOL Kofil enjoy a laugh on tfie bridge wing. Bot- tom; CHARLESTON ' S tourney winning hoops team. 91 SBa First Lt, I think the Captain wants to see you on the bridge ... now! ' Walk softly, carry a big stick. The laws of physics, specifically gravity, do apply to beer, as demonstrated by SN Whipp and SN er ... LTJG Witten. EMS Ruby The Turkish Husbanding Agent thinks of MARG 1-91 every time he drives his new Ferrari. «5TR0Nb- )H6R€i Shore Patrol in Antalya, Turkey. Downtown harbor, Antalya. Turkey. SWO Doggie Rap We ' re the SWO Doggie Rappers, and we ' re here to say, We sweat the load every single day. Standing bridge watches from eight until twelve, stand by, brother, we got a story to tell. Port and starboard lookout, helmsman and stat, they talk about this and they talk about that. BM3 Bixby, our BMOW He pipes so loud, it will really trouble you. Locklear, Braddy, and Bienworth too, if something goes down this ship is through. QM3 Davis, standing by his table, his body ' s willing, his mind ' s not able. Contacts, contacts, left and right, speeding up, slowing down, all damn night. We call to Combat, to ask what ' s up? We don ' t get an answer, ' cause they ' ve all given up. Our visibility is down to zero feet, let me tell you shipmate, this shit ' s gettin ' deep. The Cheng, he ' s losin ' it, he ' s almost gone, ' cause the Bos ' n ' s mo-boards are never quite on. Independent steaming, we ' re almost sunk, while the Quad and Austin sit in Palma, drunk. We ' ve got a chaplain onboard, God sent him down, ' cause our compass is off, and our radar is down. Our U.l.s are great, we handle them with ease. We stay in where it ' s warm - they stay out and freeze. Tom ' s in aft steering, he one of the boys, just so we don ' t forget him, he makes a little noise. The Captain comes on and off the bndge all night, but that ' s OK ' cause he ' s all right. We have a quiet watch until twenty-three thirty, when we get a contact, not one, but thirty. The Cheng starts sweatin ' . Pasquale is chill, it doesn ' t phase the seamen, ' cause we know the deal. Mr. Witten stands by the radar and plots, marking down all the ships with little white dots. Until our reliefs show, and we disappear out of sight, happy sleeping to all, and to all A SWO Doggie Night A SWO Doggie Night ■ A SWO Doggie Night From the Boatswain ' s Mate of the Watch bridge log: I woke up this morning, and I raised my weary head, I had a hard hat for a pillow, and main deck was last night ' s bed. -Anonymous 98 When I realized I would be doing not most, but all ot the work on this cruise book, I must admit I got a little worried. Actually, I did get some very necessary help. I ' d like to thank every- one who contributed pictures. They came from all ranks and rates and I hope will help this book better represent the whole cruise. I ' d also like to thank Barry Brown and Jeanne Czeiler at Walsworth Publishing. Their guid- ance and help was absolutely indispensable. Working on this book was a lot like the cruise in general. It was sometimes painful, but when it was over and we look back, it wasn ' t too bad. We ' ll all have sea stories to tell for years to come. I hope the contents of this book will help keep those memories as vivid as possible. i r 99 CK t)IT§ EDITOR LT MARK TAYLOR CREATIVE DESIGN LAYOUTS LT MARK TAYLOR WRITING PHOTOGRAPHS LT MARK TAYLOR SALES BTCM CHARLES ALEXANDER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PUBLISHER LT ANDRE STOKES LTJG RICHARD WITTEN ENC ADOLPH LTJG HERBERT VALLE ENl EMERSON BMl BOB GIFFORD MMl MARION STEVENS SN DARREN WARNING SN TRAVIS MCKINNEY WALSWORTH PUBLISHING SALES REPRESENTATIVE BARRY BROWN 100 -■,-i : ' W[J - ;s 19 ' j ' - ' . ' -. ■ T ' ' ' «  « -I  ♦ ilHi