Comstock (LSD 45 LSD 19) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 88 of the 1998 volume:

Q SS COJICSUOCJCf £61) 43) V .. )AHI RAIN JEBEL, ' U,A.EV .® DUBAI, U:«?) MUSCAT, OMAN ' .JT ?■ ' V — — • J  IUptill .•• ' 7 — ' -  «i«i« Port laii ' PrtOKET, THAILAND © SINGAPORE GUAM r  J •• • o ' aALf l t . I I U I J H C e  N PERTH© II iti • • t i S T • A I I •trt ii« MELBORtt HOB SANDIEGO, -g)- CA r A C I f I C -1 - ;■ ■; v PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII )«I4 r ■ ax teiOMO ! -« -0 PAGO PAGO, SAMOAN ISLAND:  IM ST. SUVA, FUl -; — ♦- sVdney r4 IM4« it A II4t4NC ••tr- Viv ' ) V • Ai - • • ••• Ports of Call Pearl Habor, HI Guam Singapore Phuket, Thailand Jebel, U.A.E. Dubai, U.A.E. Bahrain Port Blair, India Penanc Meilaysia Bali Indonesa Guam Pearl Habor, HI San Oiego, CA 1997-9S DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE 2 COMMANDING OFFICER 3 EXECUTIVE OFFICER 4 COMMAND MASTER CHIEF 5 WARDROOM 6-7 CHIEF ' S MESS 8-9 ACU5 10-12 DECK 14-16 DENTAL - MEDICAL 17 ENGINEERING 18-24 NAVIGATION 25 ADMIN 26 OPERATIONS 27-30 SUPPLY 31-33 DEPARTURE 34-35 COMMUNITY RELATIONS 36-37 FLIGHT OPS - VERT REP - UNREP 38 SEAL OPS - VBSS - LCAC OPS 39 ESWS - SWO 40 CLEANING STATIONS 41 VIPs 42-43 ACTIVITIES 44 STEEL BEACH PICNICS 45 DAMAGE CONTROL OLYMPICS 46-47 BURIAL AT SEA 48 FANTASTIC FACTS 49 GUAM 50-51 SINGAPORE 52-53 THAILAND 54-55 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 56-57 INDIA 58-59 MALAYSIA 60-61 INDIONESIA 62-63 HAWAII 64 TALENT SHOW 65 HOLIDAYS 66-67 CROSSING THE LINE 68-69 TIGER CRUISE 70-73 HOMECOMING 74-77 HEALTH PROMOTION 78 MEET THE CREW 79-80 SHIP ' S MISSION - HISTORY 80 28 28 05 06 19 22 30 05 06 II 15 20 21 26 27 03 15 20 25 26 01 02 02 06 II 12 13 15 21 26 27 28 30 06 07 10 II 14 19 20 i-y 25 29 03 08 08 08 18 20 26 27 AUG 97 Departed San Diego for WESTPAC AUG 97 - 04 SEP 97 Underway enroute Hawaii SEPT 97 Inpon Pearl Harbor. HI SEPT 97-18 SEP 97 Underway enroute Gaum SEP 97 - 21 SEP 97 InportGuam SEP 97 - 29 SEP 97 Underway enroute Singapore SEP 97 - 04 OCT 97 Inpon Singapore OCT 97 Underway enroute Phuket, Thailand OCT 97- 10 OCT 97 Inpon Phuket. Thailand OCT 97 - 14 OCT 97 Underway Indian Ocean OCT 97- 19 OCT 97 Underway North Arabian .Sea OCT 97 Transit Straits of Hormuz OCT 97 Underway Arabian Gulf OCT 97 - 25 OCT 97 Inpon Bahrain OCT 97 Underway Arabian Gulf OCT 97 - 02 NOV 97 Inport Jebel Ali NOV 97-19 NOV 97 Underway Arabian Gulf NOV 97- 18 NOV 97 Operations in Central Arabian Gulf NOV 97 - 24 NOV 97 Inport Jebel Ali NOV 97 Underway Arabian Gulf NOV 97 - 30 NOV 97 Inport Bahrain DEC 97 Underway Arabian Gulf DEC 97 - 06 JAN 98 Exercise Eager Mace DEC 97 - 05 DEC 97 Inpon Kuwait DEC 97-10 DEC 97 Underway Arabian Gulf DEC 97 Inpon Bahrain DEC 97 Underway Arabian Gulf DEC 97 - 14 DEC 97 Anchored Northern Arabian Gulf DEC 97 - 20 DEC 97 Underway Northern Arabian Gulf DEC 97 - 25 DEC 97 Anchored Northern Arabian Gulf DEC 97 Underway Arabian Gulf DEC 97 Inpon Bahrain DEC 97 - 29 DEC 97 Underway Arabian Gulf DEC 97 - 05 JAN 98 Inport Kuwait JAN 98 Underway Arabian Gulf JAN 98 - 09 JAN 98 Inport Jcbcl Ali JAN 98 Straits of Honnuz Transit JAN 98-13 JAN 98 Underway Indian Ocean JAN 98 - 1 8 JAN 98 Underway enroute Port Blair. India JAN 98 Inpon Port Blair. India JAN 98 - 21 JAN 98 Underway enroute Penang. Malaysia JAN 98 - 24 JAN 98 Inport Penang. Malaysia JAN 98 - 28 JAN 98 Underway enroute Bali. Indonesia JAN 98 - 02 FEB 98 Inport Bali. Indonesia FEB 98 - 08 FEB 98 Underway enroute Guam FEB 98 InportGuam IF;B 98 - 1 1 FEB 98 Mid-Cycle Assessment FEB 98 - I I FEB 98 Underway enroute Hawaii FEB 98 - 19 FEB 98 Inport Pearl Harbor. HI FF;B 98 - 25 FEB 98 Underway enroute Camp Pendleton II;B 98 onload Mamies at Camp Pendleton FEB 98 Homecoming. Moor Pier 6, Naval Station San Diego COMMANDER GREGG S. JACKSON Thanks (o the i.rev of L!SS Comstock (LSD 45) and the marines and sailors of embarked iniits (MSSCi-13. ACL ' -5 Dei Bravo, I st LAR and BLT I I Tanks ) for the hard work put forth into making WliSTPAC 91NH a resounding success. Arriving in the Arabian Gulf during heightened tensions related to United Nations nuclear site inspections in Iraq, the USS Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group ( Peleliu. Juneau and Comstock) and the 13th Marine Expeditionarv Unit ( MEU ) helped keep the pressure on Iraq as well as pla a large peacekeeping role in Operation Southern Watch. Deployment 97 98 began on August 28. 1 997. and an extremely busy six months was underway. Friends and family said goodbye, and the ship was en route Pearl Harbor. Haw aii. While the marines conducted sustainmeni training off Bellows Beach, Comstock entered Pearl for 1 day. emergency repairs to a stand-by lube oil pump (McDonalds was the highlight). After departing Haw aii. the Comstock crossed the International Dateline and everyone on board became part of an elite group of Mariners called the Golden Dragons. In Guam the crew enjoyed their liberty opportunity . Comstock _ A ' fct fc ■ ' ■ ' ' welcomed a new Executive Officer, Lieutenant I tt t 19$ i 1 Commander Ed Hamngton relieved Lieutenant Commander I H f 1 Bob Kopas. Singapore was the next stop and a hard earned U ' J well done goes out to our basketball team for their win in I B _____ ■ Sportsfest ' 97 against other teams in the PELELIU ARG. H ■ The crew enjo yed more liberty and saw what this bustling (although expensive city) had to offer. The na igation team guided us safely through the smoked and haze filled Straits of Malacca to Phuket. Thailand where Comstock participated in various Community Relations Projects. Sailors and marines gave a helping hand cooking meals and painting various buildings forpeople in need. . fter Thailand it was time to go on station in the Persian Gulf. We conducted training but still found some time to have fun. Special events such as flight deck picnics, a talent show, ice cream nights, sports picnics, pizza night and bingo tournaments were always a hit. Comstock held events during the holidays to keep spirits up and take a break from the usually intense schedule. Everyone w eleomed a traditional Thanksgi ing meal complete with all the fixings. For Christmas, movies were show n on the turntable and V.I.P.s came aboard to spread the cheer of the holidays season. General Charles Krulak. Commandant of the Marine Corps visited Comstock to help celebrate the Marine Corps birthday in November. Rear Admiral Brewer. Commander Amphibious Group Three, and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy visited and thanked the crew for their hard work during the holiday season. The crew from Good Morning America. London came to film sailors and ask how they felt about spending the holidays in the Gulf The New Year marked the end of an exercise called EAGER MACE which involved the marines training in Kuwait Comstock then transitted through the Strait of Hormuz officially ending our time in the Gulf and beginning the journey home. The next port call. Port Blair. India was a visit aimed at enhancing relations between the United Stales and India. Comstock may ha e been the first ever U.S. Naval ship to go there. The ship hosted an Indian Navy Vice Admiral and other officers from Indian military to a luncheon and tour of the ship. Nearly 1.000 Indians visited Comstock during the 24 hour port visit. Penang. Malaysia was the next stop and proved to be a great liberty port. Sailors and marines enjoyed sunbathing. shopping, snorkeling and relaxing in the sun. The fun was not over yet. we had another liberty port to enjoy before returning to the familiar waters of Third Fleet. In Bali. Indionesia. sailors and marines spent time doing more shopping and relaxing in the sun. On the way home. Comstock crossed the equator and all wogs on board became Trusty Shellbacks . Those who participated in the festivities had fun doing damage control Olympics, weightlifting, exercise competitions and card and bingo games. Friends and family came onboard to experience life at sea for a few days on Comstock s Tiger Cruise. Many events were planned to keepeveryone busy and show them the normal operations of a ship. Activities included an air demonstration, icecream night. pizza night and damage control Olympics. On February 27.1 998, the deployment drew to a close as we were moored pierside, San Diego once again. The support werecieved from home was tremendous. Comstock ' stimein the Persian Gulf was challenging for all of us and our families. Despite the pressure and anxiety which was generated at times, you hung in there and never lost faith. Sailors efforts have a direct effect on events in the Gulfand contribute to protecting the peace. The effort ' s of the spouses who stand behind those sailors, providing support and taking care of children and other business at home are an equally critical part of the Navy effort. Thanks again to the crew and our families for an oulstandingjob on WESTPAC 97-98. you made it happen. HOORAH! LCDR ED HARRINGTON (U ■1 . K BivBIII II H Ui S i_ £ 1 eu- HH I I go ■ ■g H 1 It = i) u IS rJHK RRGISSISG a IN THE END 59 LCDR BOB KOPAS ENCM (SW) NESTOR PEREZ ii IN THE END 99 ENCM (SW) CHARLES HENTLEY 44 IN THE BEGINNING K r«n 1 ' LTBISHOP ACU5 l.TBOl CHER NAVIGATOR LTCROV CHEFENGINEER LTDEANES OPS N 1 E TJG HARMON MPA LTJG HAYES BDIVO LTJG HOLMES ADIVO LTJG JEANS IstDIVO ir ra iLZl r l.. ,S(()N l.M() ZndDIVO ENSMOC KC.I A 1:K MDIVO l.NSkONC. DISBO ENSPIMEMliL OCDIVO LT EDWARDS IstLlEL ' TENANT LTJGMASSEY ASST. IstLT LTELLZ ' MEDICALOFRCER LTTUCKER SUPPO LTJG SANDOVAL EDIVO LTJG STEWART DISBO LTWESTOCK DENTAL w ENSBRIONES OEDIVO ENS I lONQUIAO OWDIVO ENSTREVINO EDIVO CW04M0RAN SHIPS BOATSWAIN CW02GL1SMAN DCA o ENCSTAPIA M DIVISION ;MC PATRICIO EDIVISION i A J GSCS LARSON ACU5 MSC S M( )N ,()N S4 DIVISION -i I ENCSERNEO A DIVISION ETCKLEPPER OE DIVISION BMC DEW HURST I SI DIVISION GSEC SMITH ACU5 OSC AMI SON OI DIVISION i ' Nt I.NCil.i XDIMSiON gMC ACI ALLh NAVIGATION OMCDl.Sl ' OSllO ACL ' 5 itL BMCMOORE ACU5 BMC RED AR 2ndDlVISION DCCPIKE R DIVISION DTCDERBY DENTAL LJ J i GSECWARE ACU5 HMCSHERRILL MEDICAL HTC CHRISTOPHERSON R DIVISION HTCRESSLER ACU5 RMCCAVONE OC DIVISION SHCFL ' ERTE S3 DIVISION SKCJEAN-PAUL SI DIVISION SMCHARRIGAN OC DIVISION MAC HARPER X DIVISION ' VW BMIIhKK ETIDAVIU GSEISOLBERG GSMlHhNSUN YNIHEINLEIN BM2CONKLIN BM2 HOWARD BM2SETLIFF OS2 MARTINEZ OS2STH1NLRT GSE DIEHL GSM SOTO GSM.IZAMOKA IIMllOSKINS ( ISI AI ' ARICIO GSMIMARIINHZ 10 GSMlHOPSEK.HR HTIWOOD OSIBOVARD SK1S, LDEVAK GSM20D0M HT2 BUTLER HT2 EVANS HT2HEUERMAN GSM3 BARLOW GSM3 DRAPER GSM3ESANCY GSM3MOREY GSMFMEDINA GSMl SEE GSMSHESKE •RUAVILA 11 12 BMI DAVIDSON BMITUMLINSON BM2AUTY ft ' . i BM2BELTRAN BM2 CRAWFORD BM2 WHITE BM2 WILLIAMS BM3 PALMER . i BM3REPECKI BM3 TRACY BM3 WALKER SNDAGNINO .9 SN LITTLE I U.N SN SANT SNSII SNSIM 13 SN WILLIAMS SAFlSHi.R SALAHUkTA fWmm SAMILLI.K SAMAkMNL SAMCNHAL ? - i S A SALAMANCA S A SHAW SRGARCIA SRMLNDOZA SRNU LRAIN SROAKLL1 14 BMkSABl LLA BM2AM()S BM2 MCALLISTER BM2 SAIGAS BM2 WALKER BM3 COLEMAN BM3DANILET BM3DEHAVEN BNL REED SNBOGA SNCOLBERT SNREE CE il ' JK] Ya SABRINSON SABURGDAHL SACORTEZ SACURTIS 15 SAlXACl.AS SAC.AVhL SAGONZALLZ SALlNUhRS Wf W .Y SAMAGRATA SAPATEL ri . y V SKlll INE SRPAGE SR PARKER SR ROBINSON I ■: 16 DT3G.- RCIA DT3 CHI AFFINU DN LEANDRO HMl LEWIS MEDICAL DEPT DENTAL DEPT HM3 MILLER HM3DEJESUS HNKRUEGER HN LENOX 17 EN KSW) DAVIS EN3 BLAKE }f4 MM 1 LEONARD EN2 WARREN EN2ZIRION K i ii 1 EN3GREEN EN3 MUHAMMAD EN3RIVAS r hTMCONLEY FN DUNHAM f A hiSiPtKR hTsREiU 18 ENIADRIANO EN2ATTR1LL EN2LAYGO EN2PANGR. ML HN EN3 BRILL EN3GREEN r MM3 KAPOI EN3W00DUS FNCHESTER FN GUZMAN I tA V FN JONES FNRATCLIFF FA COX FAFRAZIER 19 o g UJ h A HESS FASTEWAKl j FA TILLMAN FNTOVAR FNCEDOMIORAMIREZ FRWARDLOW t 1 IC I HASTY EM I LITTLE EMIWILLARD EM2ABAN f i EM2JC)HNSC)N EM2WILEY 1C3CLAYTON EM3CHON 20 n ' .; 1C3GMYR EM3KOUDRIACHEV EM3LAUGHENBERG IC3McCALL EM3 PIOL ICFATOMINAGA EMSNMARffiN ICFNLEE 14 EMSNLANG EN 1 GOODMAN EN 1 JONES EN 1 TEAS EN 1 THOMPSON 21 ■ .k k ' l HN2 BURTON EN2 FALLS ln:george h ' Wi I '  X 1 J J r- EN2 SCOTT 9 1 K xl T j HN2 WIGGINS EN3HALL EN3HEISING EN3MCELRO ' EN3VASQUEZ FNADEWUNMI FNBERG FNBUONAURO FN C ADEN A FNCOBURN FN KEAHEZ FNMARINLL ' NA 22 J uVlC poT FN MARTIN FN SCRUGGS i ' f J :ic i MRIAMES HTICROY V I .1 DC2BLILYALEJ T HT2JUDD if- ir r DC 1 FAILS HTl LEWIS DCISMOOT MR2 MENES DC2 QUICK I —L. y i DC3CARR DC3DEMACEDO DC3FUENTES DC3FUNK A? c § o 23 DC3 HAMPTON FNREGAS HT3L ' ON HI GORMAN i l r 4 HT3RK1NSCHMIDT DC3SAHABA FNDERRY IX 3RtDMO. D FN DOUGLAS FN WATSON FRDRAPFR FRWILKS 24 QMIRAjNNINEN n QM3 NUTT 111 -. lik K QM3PESANE QM3 SANCHEZ QMSNMACAGNO QMS A HOPE 25 t mm M NCIJUGAU PNIPELAYO k .; ' YNl SHELL ' N. NAJI- ALLAH w I f i 5| • . •L KGANAN YN3VERDELL VNSN DIXON JOSNCONDH 26 SMIGAkTLANU r. U A M- j RM 1 JACOBSON RMl LEWIS RMl SMITH SM2 JIMENEZ RM2 STRODTM AN SM2 WHEETLE Y fA RM3 ANDERSON SM3GODOY .n ' fn RM3PACK RM3 PATTERSON RM3 WILSON RMSN BLOUNT 27 SMSNLOWE YNICAIRES ETl Hl ' RD ET2 SCALES ET2TA I.OR I I k ET3KOCH ET3 STREET ETSNBETTS 28 OSIBELFORD EWIBELLARDINI EWl GILDER OS 1 RAYMOND 0S2 BROWN OS2 FLANAGAN OS3 BINGHAM 0S3CRAVINS ()S3FASUL0 OS3GRAY EW3HILL 0S3 MOSES 29 t n 0S3QUEZADA EW3 SLAUGHTER 0S3 STEW ART vy EWSNHARRELL OSSNMANESS EWSNiNADAU II OSSNVASQUEZ GMCi2 AMNIONS GMGIMATHIASON 1 FCZI ' iWlON M 1 w.- ' v , 1 ic:leeman FC2PA TON 30 IV- A FC3DYER FC3HERRERA GM3ME1STER GMG30LIVER GMG30NDICK GMSADURAN 11 y . i f ig SKILOCKETT SKI MARIANO SKIVALDEZ SK2SULIT . 1 Y t I 1 C . SK3ATEMPA SK3BRITT SK3CLAUTERO SK3TANIO 31 MS3TREJO MSSN BROWN 32 MSSNCOHRS U SH2BLANTON MSSN HENDERSON MSSNTAMAYO SH3 BRYANT MSSN WILSON SH3 JENKINS SH3MAYO SH3 ROBINSON SHSN BEAVER SHSN RAMIREZ DKl MERC ADO PC2HATCHETT DKSN KILMER PCSNTURNER 33 34 35 A.  -J 36 37 38 39 COMSTOCK had a record-breaking number of sailors onboard who became Enlisted Surface Warfare qualified during WESTPAC 97-98. Sixty-four Sailors onboard worked ong hours to become familiar with the ship both inside and out! Some officers onboard became Surface Warfare Officers which also involves devoting many hours to studying the ship ' s characterisitcs and capabilities. ESWS QUALIFIERS DURING PAC SEPTEMBER SKC Jean-Paul EMI Little EN 1 Thompson EN2 Attrill QM2 Nutt DECEMBER EMC Patricio GSECWare YNlHeinlein NCI Jugau EMlWillard BM2Ci nklin ET2 Lapone EM2 Martinez SK2Sulil EN2Ziiion SK3Tanio OCTOBER BM3 White JANUARY RMC(AW)Cavone DTC Derby MAC Harper HMCSherriil GSEC Smith EWIBellardini BMI Davidson HMI Lewis SKI Mariano YN 1 Shell HMI Wakefield EM2Aban HM2 Amtt HM2Goldschmidt HT2Judd OS2 Miirtinez DC2 Quick DC2Sahaba OS2Steinert SK3Britt EM3K()udriachev EM3 Piol HT3 Regas YN2 Verdell NOVEMBER MSI Aberdeen MSI Escobedo GSM 1 Hopseker FEBRUARY EN I Adnano YNlCaires PN I Palayo SKI Saldevar BM2 Amos SH2Blanton EN2 Burton BM2 Crawford OS2Grey BM2 Howard GSM20dom PN2 Pureanan SK3 Aiempa GSM3 Barlow GSM3 Draper SM3Godoy EW3HiII GSM3Morey YN3Najallah ENPTV Buonaro SWO QUALIFICATIONS LTJG Massey ENSTrcvino ENS Tionquiao 40 COMSTOCK, MAN YOUR CLEANING STATIONS c § ■ v - ,_ Ci O 3: r:) s r:: ? 3 ■ iw| j « « v O v% 41 ' 6 P H  i c H 1 42 43 44 45 K L C ex. o X o o o a 46 r:i o GOH } _ L o :r • r: v v 47 s s •s c ■ X N c O -v o  X s v v CA 48 1,431,556 FACTS AUG NQV X-RAYS 53 SETS OF TEETH CLEANED 180_ JP5 USED 5,987 DFM USED J WATER MADE I SAILOR PHONE Ij CALLS MADE 8,463 ' 9 MM ROUNDS 6,0(X) I 50 CAL ROUNDS 1,9(X) I CIWS ROUNDS 400 _ 25 MM ROUNDS 770 _ CONTACTS 1,731 SURFACE SHIPS 1 ON LOC REPORT 28 I MILES TRAVELED 12,558 HOURS UAV 1.378.! LBS OF MEAT SRVD AT STEEL BEACH PICNICS ___ 625 _ LBS MAIL SENT 2.244 LBS MAIL REC 3,768 MEALS SERVED 231.00 CANS OF SODA SOLD 53,874 MONEY DISPENSED III FROM ATMS 208,12 PERSONAL UfcC PECJA ;i{ - 27 h;b .•)3 } K5 180 5,987 872.438 101459 7 940,623 549., 6,(X)5 12,0 1,426 __ 1,900 _ JIl_looo ■02b . . . 6(X)_ 150 12,558 1.378.5 625 342 _ 2.244 3,621 _ 3,768 18,516. 231,000 _ 49.600. 53,874 _ 20,615. 208,125 ' ' ■ CHECKS CASHED _ 113XJ65 9 23 BOXES OF 1 I ' m CEREAL EATEN _ 40,320 1 S.32 STAMPS SOLD K S.20 STAMPS SOLD _ 8,060 _ - 1.524 _ _1,0 LJ! PHONE 1 CARDS SOLD _ L215 _ ESi 1 j, TOTAL SALES fHELOS LAUNCHED _ 154,884 71.9fB . RECOVERED 315 47 ' m 11 MOVIES SHOWN 526 _417 J % AWARDS GIVEN I S I 54 V J 1 ROLLS OF TOILET Jl PAPER USED _ 1,815 _ 862 GALLONS OF 1 PAINT USED 230 168 |lCACS LAUNCHED 1 RECOVERED 60 48 i UNREPS 6 5 | SEA AND ANCHOR DETAILS 12 28 | E-MAILS SENT 532 9.075 1.693,909 3,550,484 39,(X)5 8,962 3,8(X) 2,(XX) 28,967 2,806.5 2.084 14,804 33,784 401.920 150,070 S906,965 S507.(J99 ITJMfO 93.160 2(i0 14.423 1(X) 6.424 25 3.653 8..344 S449.692 1 419 m 3.575 50 214 48.(X)6 49 50 Guam is a rugged, tropical island which rises in the Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way between Honolulu and Manilla. It ' s position makes it a significant air and naval base. it is the southernmost and largest of the Mariana Islands. The kidney-shaped island has an area of 209 square miles which is about the size of Chicago and a population of approximately 1 34,000. It is 30 miles long and 4 to 8 1 2 miles v ide. In the lowlands you will find banana, coconut, breadfruit, and rubber trees. The chief work animals are water buffaloes and chickens, pigs, and cattle arc raised. The people native to Guam are Chamarros whom are of Indian descent. However they have intermarried withother peoples and there are no pureblood Chamarros left in Gaum. Apra Harbor is one of the world ' s great naval bases. The American military bases are the island ' s main economic support. Guam was made a United States territory in 1 950. It is now self-governing and in 1 970 the governorship became an elected rather than appointed office. Before belonging to the U.S. Guam was claimed by Spain and Japan. 51 y Singapore is located in Southeast Asia and is known as the Lion City. It is a modem metropolis with one of the world ' s busiest ports. The total land area is about 239 square miles which includes some 57 nearby islets. The city has a tropical climate characterized by high temperatures and humidity with the u eragc temperature ol ' SS degrees. In 1 9S9 the population of Singapore was estimated to be 2.7 million. By the year 2()0(), it is expected to reach 3 mill ion. The i.sland is one of the most crowded nations in the world. The three main ethnic groups that make up Singapore are Chinese. Malav and Indian. S2 V C o s - o v Z2 SO ' rrk s ft • • • ««M m y y Bbt W 53 Phuket is Thailand ' s largest island and is known as the jewel of the Andman Sea. It is about the size of Singapore taking up 36( square miles. The island features Patong Beach, a popular tropical beach resort. Phuket ' s restaurants are fantastic and there are plenty of beaches that otTer snorkel ing and other water sports. Non beachgoers can enjoy tours of coconut and rubber plantations, Buddhist temples, batik factories, a cultured pearl fami. a crocodile fann. the Marine Biological Research Center, and a number of parks and nearby islands olTRawai Beach. The beach resorts are popular on the islands. They contain a mixture ofcolonial and Chinese architecture There are also well preserved ruins for tourists to see in the northern and northeastern part of the island. 55 wm M ' i The name Bahrain means two seas, and it refers to the proximity 1)1 ihc Persian Gull and numerous freshwater wells on the islands. There are two ways of life in Bahrain — Mideastem and Western. Bahrain consists of 33 islands (six are inhabited) and is the main island of the United Arab Emirates. The island is ver. Hat and receives very little rainfall making it very humid. Dubai is the second - largest emirate with a population of 296,000. It is the commercial centerof the L ' . A. E. Dubai has been trading with its neighbors for thousands of years. You can find all sorts of activities there, including golf, swimming sailing, polo, ice skating and nightclubbmg. While in the U.A.E. you can spend the day watching camels wander or hop on one for a ride. Camel races take place outisde of Dubai city . .Although there is no betting, you may be amused seeing the 50 or so camels galloping around the race track. (That ' s something you won ' t see in the United States.) The citN has a great selection of beautiful gold, unique spices and fruit along w ith vegetables and fruit ou will onl find in the Middle: East. 56 Jem m, cu iiim 57 PO i COM STOCK visited Port Blair. India which is located in the Andaman and Nicohar Islands The islands are a union tcmton. of India located in the Bay of Bengal. Port Blair is the capital which is located on South Andaman Island. The Island has a population of 115.1 . ' . ' and is known for its bountiful supply of tmiber. fish and turtles. From 1 858 Port Blair was headquarters for India ' s con ict settlement. howe er. that establishment was abolished in 1945. Nearly one sixth of all the human beings on Earth live in India. The people 58 of Port Blair lived in the typical village dwelling which consits of a one-story mud hut of one or several rooms. The roofs are generally flat in the dry regions and peaked in areas of heavier rainfall. Most of the houses have no windows and a cubicle or comer of the yard is set aside for the kitchen hearth, containing an earth stove fueled by cow dung or firewood. Furniture is scarce, indoor plumbing is virtually unknown, and electricity is uncommon. Water is brought home from the wells and is stored in large clay jars. 59 1 1 Miiiiiiiiuiuiiiuflun JjJIll MUillj ' r- i EP Pinang Island (Penang Island) is located al the north end of the Strait of Malacca, off the west coast of Malay Peninsula. The island is 1 10 square miles or285 square km v ith a population of 868. 012. .Along with Province Wellcsley it forms the slate of I ' inang. the capital of Malaysia. «« ' ■• -m a The island offers many activities like sunbathing, snorkeling and diving. Shopping was also very popular with discount prices on various electronic equipment. If you w ere able to go into the countryside you could see the many jungles and beaches the island had to offer. 61 62 mt Bali is known to be the most popular stop in Indonesia. The island is known for its unique Hindu eulture. volcanoes. capti ating dances, beautiful jungles and breathtaking beaches. You can also find excellent di ing and snorkeling among the reefs and u recks off the port of Padang Bali. Bali has wonderful handicrafts and each part of the island specializes in different crafts. Many Sailors and Marines found the way to see the best of Bali was to hire a car and driver and head inland toward the rice tenaces and lush countryside. Colorful festivals, weddings and ceremony-laden cremations are quite fascinating to see in Bali. Religion governs every aspect of Balinese life, and each illage has at least three temples w here rituals and festivals take place. Bali is known to have some 20.000 temples. The island is also famous for its wood- carvings, paintings, and handmade quilts. n. S? — i r i 4 Iw -.1 rd ipr j|ii ' ii v i 1 ■if 4 m ■ ! 1 i 1 r i ( t is 4 ' H 63 « 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 o m 72 73 74 v ■ c ■ ia i o ' o g Ui X V-A o :ir 76 78 79 SHIP ' S MISSION United SlatesShipCOMSTOCK(LSD45)is the fifth shipof the WHIDBEYISLAND(LSD-41)cla and the third ship of the class to serve in the Pacific Fleet. The mission of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) is to transport mannes and their combat equipmei ashore whenever the need arises, either by air or by sea. In her vast well deck. COMSTOCK can earn, foi Landing Craft AirCushion (LCAC). The LCAC is an assault hovercraft with the ability to cruise in the non-displacement mode at speec in excess of 40 knots while carrying a 60 ton pay load. With the LCAC, COMSTOCK is capable of conductin amphibious operations against a significantly di ersified range of littoral areas. COMSTOCK s tloodable well deck is essential to her mission accomplishment. The well deck is flooded u to 6 feet forward and 10 feet aft when embarking or launching assault craft. Once the assault craft ha e lefi the ship, they are directed ashore by the ship ' s Combat Informatio Center (CIC). To provide the continuous suppiirt the assault force requires, CO.MSTOCK is equipped with th Navy ' s latest Command and Control technology. COMSTOCK HISTORY USS COMSTOCK (LSD-45) is the second ship to be named after the Comstock Lode, an earl American pioneer mining site near Virginia City, Nevada. The Comstock Lode, founded in 1 839, has becoiii indelible in the history of our . merican West: it produced more than 5500. 000. 000 in gold and silver. Lquallv iiiiportani as the riches the mine produced sere the peripheral effects that it had on other industrie, To mine the ore, huge hoisting machines, giant pumps, heavy stamps, drills, cables and hundreds of other too! were manufactured. To drain water from underground reservoirs, engineers completed a five-mile tunnel und the lloor of the Carson Ri er to the Comstock mine. Water required for the 40,000 inhabitants of Virginia City and its surrounding area was iransporte troni an artificial lake, Marlelte. . 0 miles away in the Sierra Ne ada Mountains. Using pipes that were cast t fit around muuniains, tunnels, Humes and a large inverted siphon, the water transportation and distributio system was considered an engineering marvel during this epochal period. The original I ' SS COMSTOCK ( LSD I ) ) was commissioned during the end of World WarTw o in 1 94: .md later served in both the Korean and V ietnam Confiicts. She earned ten battle stars lor ser ice m the Korea War, the most awarded to a ship of this type. She received a Meritorious Unit Commendation and six battl stars for Vietnam War service. Now her successor. LSD 45. continues the rich naval tradition associated wit the name Comstock. Since her commissioning in February 1 990, COMSTOCK has completed three extended deploymeni to the Wesiern Pacific and Middle East Forces, and has completed one deployment to the Southern Pacifi conducting counter narcotics operations. Since being commissioned, COMSTOCK has been at the tip of the spear . She participated 1 evacuation operations afier Mt Piiuitiibo erupted in the Philippines She was on station during Operatio Desert Shield Desert Storm, and participated in Operation Continue Hope off the coast of Somolia. Time an again COMSTOCK ' s ability to perform under pressure has been demonstrated by the Sailors and Marines th; serve their countrv w ilh pride. In December 1 95. COMS TOCK returned from an extended deplov nieni lo the . rabian Gull in continue support of United Nations and United States policies for that region. Among the highlights of the deploy met were inlegraletl aniphibiousopcrations with the Jordanian .Xrmed Forcesduring Operalion Infinite Moonligh COMS rOCK IS a can do ship w iih ' can do Sailors and Marines. The ship v as the first ISN combatant t have a fully integrated crew of male and female Sailors. Sailors on COMSTOCK have seen the world with port visits lo the tropical climates and .Asia shopping extravagan as with stops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Her extensive tours in the .Arabia Gulf have been highlighted by visiting such ports as: Aquaba, Jorda; Manama, Bahrain: Kuwait City, Kuw ai aiul Jebcl .Mi. United .Arab F.mirales. Other popular ports of call for COMSTOCK hav included: Mombas; Kenya; Seychelles: Perth. Austrailia: and Haw an. Not all the got d liberty ports are ov erseas. howev er. Som of the best visits have been to some of Ameiica ' s fine west coast cities, such as San Francisco and Monterey California. 80 Kevin D. Farley Heifl Jonn CiuMtook Speaaksi 619-226-3005 knlaiteyOcorrpuMfve cam 9 QISS C0JK6D0CX(£6 ' D 43) - Ji-, BAH • JEBEL.U,A.E. ' .© WJBAl, UXf) ■  «f SCAT, OMAN MA V- ' t. 4 ' .J . ' . H ' ' r PHOKET, THAILAND - © , --«-- . ' ' ■ ' . . . T . . r ' ' ■ SINGAPORE t GUAM « • o • BALI i t I • 4 It. iJt. INDIAN C (AN rltlil PERTH© -irnrrmrf f ' tc i i ' • MELBOR H( SAN DIEGO.--® CA i P A C t f I C ♦•-. -■« — ;. — t — — ' .j , r «- ' -v PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII UHla . tOIOUOk -«r. tA ■ft: ® PAGO PAGO, SAMOAN ISLAND: ,r.0Ui SUVA, FUl i sVdVjey • .©  J? ' ; i t M4 «  • ' L i f  - V , V . ) r II4UN0 ••ST ' Ports of Call Pearl Habor, HI Guam Singapore Phuket, ThaiUind Jebel, U.A.E. Dubai, U.A.E. Bahrain Port Blair, India Penang Malaysia Bali Indonesa Guam Pearl Habor, HI San Diego, CA iggi-os • « . ' i ' ' y 5 ' .• J ' ! 1 1 ' J  f 97-98 an ' • -il