Cleveland (LPD 7 CL 55) - Naval Cruise Book

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ATF WEST ATF WEST consisted of many hardships. It started off as kind of a surprise departure for everyone, leaving on JAN 17 2003. ha ing planned to depart some time in June later on this year. The CLEVELAND gathered up the Sailors and Marines and headed to the Arabian Gulf The Marine Units we embarked on board were: HMLA-267. CSSC-111. ACU-1 DET CHARLIE, and BMU-1 DETS ALPHA DELTA. Having to get to the Arabian Gulf as quick as possible. CLEVELAND, and other ships in our group, made a non-stop trip to the Arabian Gulf Once we arrived, we commenced the offload of all the embarked Marines. With the trained crew, we finished the offload faster than most ships and spent the remaining days helping out in any way we could. We then headed towards the Gulf Of Oman (GOO). There we were scheduled to do several Operations, but like most plans, they changed. We had now been gi en orders to transit the Suez Canal, leading into the Mediterranean Sea. For the CLEVELAND, this was a task never before seen, but as usual the Crew accomplished it with determination and enthusiasm. The other part of our mission, after transiting the Suez Canal, was to support the Mine Sweeping Operations being conducted on the northern approaches of the Suez Canal. We acted as the Mine Counter Measure Command Ship. Pulling into Augusta Bay, Sicily, we embarked the MCMRON. which included HM-15. That also being our first Liberty port, the sailors got a chance to unwind and have some liberty time. During the Operation, we also did Astern refueling, refueling the Minesweeper ships: yet another task given to us not seen by most of the crew but still yet accomplished. After completing this mission we were uncertain of what lied ahead for us. There were many choices at hand: one of the choices was to return home westward accompany, ing the Mine Sweepers and bringing HM-15 back to their home in Corpus Christi, Texas. The other was to transit the Suez Canal yet again and return to the Arabian Gulf to embark Marines and then continue our journey home. With a decision not being made, the CLEVELAND decided their crew needed some well-deserved liberty, choosing Split. Croatia as our 2 ' ' liberty port. After departing Croatia, a decision was made and our next mission was chosen. The mission was to transit the Suez Canal and embark the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS in the .Arabian Gulf On our way to the Suez Canal we conducted flight quarters to fly the embarked personnel off the ship to conclude our Mission in the Mediterranean Sea. Making our way through the Suez Canal once again afid finally reaching the Arabian Gulf we embarked 556 Marines. The Marine Units we embarked were: DET MSSG-11. DET 3 ' ' AA BN, DET CSSB-19. ACU-1 DET CHARLIE. BMU- 1 DET. DELTA, that making our ship at full capacity. After our fellow Marines embarked the ship, we began our transit home. Our transit home consisted of a stop at 2 ports in Australia: Sydney and Cairns, then off to Haw ah, anchor off the coast of Camp Pendleton to off load Marines, and then, of course, San Diego.

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Captain Robert W. Brown Commanding Officer USS Cleveland (LPD-7) After graduation from the University of Notre Dame, Captain Robert W. Brown entered the Navy in 1981 through the Aviation Officer Candidate (AOCS) Program. He was commissioned as an Ensign in June 1981 and was designated a Naval Aviator on 8 October 1982. Upon completing E-2C Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) training, he was assigned to his first fleet squadron tour with VAW-125 (Tiger Tails) and completed two Mediterranean Sea deployments aboard USS SARATOGA (CV-60). After completion of his sea tour, he was assigned as an instructor pilot for the East Coast FRS (VAW- 1 20) and six months later was selected for and ultimately attended Naval Test Pilot School (TPS). After successfully completing TPS, he was assigned to Force Warfare Air Test Directorate for two years, as the project pilot for the T56-A-427 engine test program. During his second sea tour he was assigned to VAW-124 (Bear Aces) where he sensed as Administration Officer and Mainte- nance Officer, deploying aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) in support of Opera- tions Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Provide Comfort. He was then assigned as the Opera- tions Officer for the Navy ' s counter-drug squadron (VAW-122, Steel Jaws), the Chief Staff Officer for AEWWINGLANT and completed JPME 1 and 2 training by attending Naval War College and Armed Forces Staff College, before assuming duties as Executive Officer of the E-2C community ' s single site FRS (VAW-120). He returned to the fleet in Oct 96 as the Executive Officer of VAW- 123 (Screwtops) and assumed command in Dec 97. As the Commanding Officer, he success- fully led the Screwtops through an Oct 97 to Apr 98 deployment to both the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf aboard USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73) winning the Battle E award in both 97 and 99. After his command tour, he was selected for the Nuclear Power Program and has just completed his tour as the Executive Officer aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) with a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Captain Brown has logged more than 5,500 flight hours and 500 carrier arrested landings in 26 different aircraft. He has accumulated over 5,000 hours in the E-2C Hawkeye, flown 65 combat sorties in Iraq with over 234 combat hours. His military awards include three Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with Combat V , three Strike Flight Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, two Navy Achievement Medals, and three Battle E ' s. Captain Brown is married to the former Lisa Lake of Cockysville, Maryland and has two sons: Robert and Patrick. 8