Concord (AFS 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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1985 USS CONCORD AFS 5 IWEDITERRANEAN CRUISE FIRST THEN FIRST NOW

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lk The period 23 J anuary-141 une 1985 was indeed memorable for the Minutemen of the USS CONCORD. What was sche- duled as a typical routine Mediterranean Deployment proved to be unique and exciting in several respects. We relearned the meaning of flexibility as the dynamic situation in the Med created numerous schedule changes and we watched our sche- duled inport time shrink from 50 to 33 percent. However, that was more than compensated for by the exceptionally interest- ing tasking and the excellent fun-filled ports we visited. In addition to our primary mission of conducting the monthly logistics resupply of the ships of the Sixth Fleet, which we did with a record-setting supply effectiveness rate, we also participated in several noteworthy events. The first of these was being assigned on scene commander of Eastern Mediterranean presence operations and as helo support unit for the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. It was during this period that we had a CH-53 helo make an emergency landing on our flight deck and we also participated in the rescue of a small Turkish fishing boat with two fishermen aboard who had been adrift for over a week. Next came a very successful 10-day maintenance upkeep period in Cartagena, Spain, where several crew members had their wives join them. Observing the Easter week festivities there was truly enjoy- able. Following our departure from Cartagena, the Concord orchestrated the single largest-at-sea replenishment in the Mediterranean in over three years. This replenishment in- volved the carrier Nimitz and 18 other ships and was conducted flawlessly and I was extremely proud of the entire crew for such a fine team effort. Our next major evolution was playing the key role in Mediterranean Logistic Exercise 85 which con- sisted of the download of a previously inactive ship. Concord successfully completed the download of 1300 pallets of material from the Southern Cross during one inport and five underway evolutions. It was during this same period of time that Concord was called on to assist another large ship that had suffered a casualty and was adrift dead in the water. We undertook the difficult task of taking this ship in-tow at the approach of a storm. Once in tow, the ship completed repairs and Concord was able to cast her off. I was delighted at the professional way the ship responded to this emergency. The Deck Department certainly proved their capability to respond to any contingency. Interspersed with all of these key events of our deployment were port visits to Barcelona, Cartagena, Rota and Malaga, Palma De Mallorca, Spain and Naples, Italy fseveral times? and Villefranche and St. Raphael, France. It was at Villefranche on 19 February 1985 that I relieved Captain Bud Dougherty as commanding officer. Later in the deployment, while at St. Raphael, the ship participated in joint American!French Memorial Day ceremonies at the U.S. cemetery in Draguignan, France. The performance of the Minutemen of Concord through- out the cruise, both in the operation of the ship and as good will ambassadors for the Navy and our country while ashore in foreign ports, was absolutely superb. They made me extremely proud to be the commanding officer of the finest support ship afloat. The fine officers and men, who are the very spirit of Concord, more than lived up to our motto First Then, First Now. 3 l l l V