Comstock (LSD 45 LSD 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER ROBERT H. HOWE COMMANDER UNITED STATES NAVY COMMANDER ROBERT H. HOWE WAS BORN IN SAN DIEGO, CA, THE SON OF CAPT. AND MRS. CHARLES M. HOWE, USN, CEC, RET. HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN MCLEAN, VIRGINIA IN 1968 AND FROM THE U.S. NAVY ACADEMY IN 1972. HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS ABOARD USS SPRINGFIELD (CLG 7) HOMEPORTED IN GAETA, ITALY, SERVING AS FIRST DIVISION OFFICER. HE CROSSDECKED TO USS LITTLE ROCK (CG 4), WHERE HE SERVED AS GM DIVISION AND SPECIAL WEAPONS OFFICER. HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WAS AN INSTRUCTOR AND SCHEDULER AT THE SURFACE WARFARE OFFICER BASIC COURSE IN CORONA- DO, CA. AFTER COMPLETING NAVAL DESTROYER SCHOOL, HE SERVED AS ENGINEER ABOARD USS BARBEY (FF 1088), THEN SPLIT-TOURED AS FIRST LT ABOARD USS SAINT LOUIS (LKA 116). HE THEN REPORTED TO NAVAL MILITARY PERSONNEL COMMAND AS THE AMPHIBIOUS PLACEMENT OFFICER. AN ASSIGNMENT AT THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL FOLLOWED. HE RECEIVED A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MANPOWER PERSONNEL AND TRAINING ANALYSIS. HE THEN SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER ABOARD USS PENSACOLA (LSD 38). COMMANDER HOWE THEN SERVED A BRIEF TOUR AS A LONG RANGE PERSONNEL PLANNER ON THE STAFF OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (0P-01B) BEFORE ATTENDING THE INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE OF THE ARMED FORCES. IN JANUARY 1989 HE REPORTED FOR DUTY AS PROSPECTIVE COMMANDING OFFICER, COMSTOCK (LSD 45). COMMANDER HOWE ' S AWARDS INCLUDE THE NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR, SEVERAL SEA SERVICE AWARDS, AND THE CNO ' S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE MANPOWER AND PERSONNEL CURRICULUM AT POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL. COMMANDER HOWE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER SUSAN FRANCES LAMBERT FROM PENSACO- LA, FLORIDA. THEY AND THEIR THREE DAUGHTERS - RACHEL, JESSICA, AND EMILY - RESIDE IN SAN DIEGO, CA.

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« FROM WHENCE WE CAME COMSTOCK (LSD 45) THE COMSTOCK TAKES ITS NAME FROM AN EARLY AMERICAN PIONEERING MINING SITE NEAR VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA. THE COMSTOCK LODE, FOUNDED IN 1859, IS NOW INDELIBLE IN THE HIS- TORY OF OUR AMERICAN WEST. THE MINE PRODUCED $500,000,000, IN GOLD AND SILVER, AN ASTRONOMICAL SOURCE OF WEALTH FOR THIS ERA. THIS SHIP IS THE SECOND TO BE NAMED FOR THE COMSTOCK LODE. THE ORIGINAL WAS COM- MISSIONED IN 1945 EARNING TEN BATTLE STARS FOR SERVICE IN THE KOREAN WAR, THE MOST AWARDED TO A SHIP OF THIS TYPE. SHE ALSO RECEIVED A MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION AND SIX BATTLE STARS FOR VIETNAM WAR SERVICE. NOW WE, HER SUCCESSOR CONTINUES THE SPLENDID NAVAL TRADITION ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAME COMSTOCK. SHE WILL ALSO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF ONE OF THE GREAT TREA- SURES OF EARLY AMERICAN PIONEERING HISTORY.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER THOMAS L. MCKEON LIEUTENANT COMMANDER UNITED STATES NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER THOMAS L. MCKEON IS THE SON OF MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM F. MCKEON OF TUCKAHOE, NEW YORK. HE GRADUATED FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY WITH A DEGREE IN GENERAL ENGINEERING AND WAS COM- MISSIONED AN ENSIGN 7 JUNE 1978. LCDR MCKEON SERVED HIS INITIAL SEA TOUR AS MAIN PROPULSION ASSISTANT, AUXILIARY OFFICER, ELECTRICAL OFFICER AND NAVIGATOR ABOARD USS JUNEAU (LPD 10). FOLLOW-UP TOURS INCLUDED ENGINEERING PROPULSION PLANT EXAMINER WITH CINCLANTFLT ' S PROPULSION EXAMINATION BOARD, ENGINEER OFFICER ABOARD USS MOOSBRUGGER (DD 980), MATERIAL AND OPERATIONS OFFICER ON THE STAFF OF COMMANDER AMPHIBIOUS SQUADRON TWO, AND OPERATIONS OFFICER ON THE STAFF OF COMMANDER SECOND FLEET. IN APRIL 1991, HE REPORTED FOR DUTY ONBOARD USS COMSTOCK AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER. LCDR MCKEON ' S AWARDS INCLUDE THE JOINT SERVICE COMMENDATION MEDAL, NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL WITH GOLD STAR, NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, SIX SEA SERVICE AWARDS, AND SEVERAL UNIT AND CAMPAIGN AWARDS. HE IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER TERRY CONSTANCE TURNAGE OF COLUMBUS, MIS- SISSIPPI. THEY HAVE VWO CHILDREN, WILLIAM AND CELESTE, AND RESIDE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.