Curts (FFG 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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WHAT A DEPLOYMENT! FROM THE WATERS OFF HOKKAIDO TO THE OIL STAINED WATERS OFF OF KUWAIT CITY THE 1990-91 SOJOURN OF THE CURTS WILL ALWAYS REMAIN AS A MEMORABLE EPIC IN ALL OUR LIVES. WHILE ENROUTE TO DESERT SHIELD WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF RESCUING A GROUP OF FIFTY VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FLEEING POLITICAL REPRESSION IN THEIR COUNTRY TWO MONTHS IN THE GULF OF OMAN ENFORCING THE UNITED NATIONS EMBARGO AGAINST IRAQ POSED A UNIQUE CHALLENGE. AT NEW YEARS WE SAILED INTO THE PERSIAN GULF FOR WHAT WOULD BECOME A MOST INCREDIBLE TWO MONTHS. ON THE MORNING OF 17 JANUARY (GULF TIME) WE WENT TO GENERAL QUARTERS AFTER MIDNIGHT TO WATCH A HISTORIC MOMENT IN WORLD HISTORY FOR THE FIRST TIME A WAR BEGAN WITH LONG RANGE CRUISE MIS- SILES - FIRED FROM THE SEA - REACHING HUNDREDS OF MILES INLAND TO ELIMINATE COMMAND AND CONTROL SITES AS A PRECURSOR TO THE THOUSANDS UPON THOU- SANDS OF MANNED AIR RAIDS THAT WOULD FOLLOW OVER THE NEXT 43 DA S. AS THE DAYS WENT BY CURTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTE- GRAL MANNER IN VIRTUALLY ALL THE OPERATIONS WHICH LED TO AN OVERWHELM- ING VICTORY CONTROLLING SURVEILLANCE HELICOPTERS, FINDING AND DESTROY- ING MINES, CAPTURING AN ISLAND, SINKING AN IRAQI MINELAYER, ESCORTING THE BATTLESHIPS IN GUNFIRE SUPPORT ROLES, LEADING MINESWEEPING FORCES TOWARD KUWAIT CITY CAPTURING-PROCESSING AND TRANSPORTING ENEMY PRISON- ERS OF WAR. IT WAS TRULY A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. CEASEFIRE BROUGHT A WELCOME RELIEF TO THE HIGH TENSION OF SIX WEEKS ON THE EDGE. A SAFE TRANSIT HOME WITH A FEW LIBERTY PORTS ENROUTE ALLOWED ALL OF US TO ENJOY REST AND RELAXATION. ON 17 APRIL 1991 THIS MOST MEMORABLE DEPLOYMENT CAME TO AN END WITH A JOYOUS HOMECOMING TO FLEET ACTIVITIES YOKOSUKA. ARRIVAL PIERSIDE WAS TER- RIFIC WITH FIREBOATS STREAMING WATER SKYWARD, BANDS PLAYING, CROWDS CHEERING, AND LOVED ONES STRAINING FOR A GLIMPSE OF THEIR FAVORITE SAILOR. A MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE UNDER UNITED NATIONS AUSPICES CAME TOGETHER IN 1990-91 TO STOP A DICTATORS INVASION OF AN ADJOINING NATION. WE CAME IN PEACE TO RESTORE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY A WAR WAS REQUIRED TO REJECT THE INVADERS. THE COALITION WAS ENORMOUSLY SUCCESSFUL IN REPULSING THE FORCES OF TYRANNY AND RESTORING FREEDOM TO KUWAIT. IT WAS OUR PRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH A SUPERB GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS AND PLAY A SMALL PART IN THIS ENDEAVOR. WE DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE BRAVE SAILORS, SOLDIERS, AIRMEN, AND MARINES WHO WILL NOT BE RETURNING FROM DESERT STORM. MAY THEIR SUPREME SACRIFICE HELP TO MAINTAIN PEACE IN THE FUTURE. THE ' 38 SPECIAL TEAM

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if JT — - MINE DESmUCnON - NORTHERN PERSIAN GULF JANUARY 1 99 1

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DTO R InI )utyI COMMANDER GLENN H. MONTGOMERX U.S.N. COMMANDING OFFICER USS CURTS (FFG-38) COMMANDER MONTGOMERY WAS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY ON 18 JUNE 1949. HE WAS COMMISSIONED AN ENSIGN UPON GRADUATION FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY IN 1971. INITIALLY ASSIGNED TO THE USS MANITOWOC (LST 1180) COMMANDER MONTGOMERY SERVED AS DAMAGE CON- TROL ASSISTANT FROM AUGUST 1971 UNTIL JANUARY 1973. DURING 1973 HE SERVED BRIEF TOURS ABOARD THE DESTROYERS HAMNER (DD 718) AND JAMES C. OWENS (DD 776). HE WAS ASSIGNED TO , USS FOX (CG 33) AS ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE OFFICER FROM LATE 1973 UNTIL 1976. IN APRIL 1976, COMMANDER MONTGOMERY BEGAN A TWO YEAR ASSIGNMENT AS AN INSTRUCTOR NAVAL TACTICAL DATA SYSTEMS AT FLEET COMBAT TRAINING CENTER PACIFIC. WHILE ON SHORE Dl HE ACHIEVED THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. FOLLOWING DEPARTMENT HEAD SCHOOL, HE REPORTED TO USS BRUMBY (FF 1044) AS ENGINEERING OFFICER FROM FEBRUARY 1979 UNTIL JANUARY 1981, HE REPORTED TO USS TRUXTUN (CGN 35) WHERE HE SERVED AS OPERATIONS OFFICER UNTIL NOVEMBER 1982. COMMANDER MONTGOMERY SERVED AS THE SURF ACE ANTI-AIR WARFARE INSTRUCTOR AT TACTICAL TRAINING GROUP PACIFIC FROM NOVEMBER 1982 UNTIL MAY 1984. HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER ON USS HARRY W. HILL (DD 986) FROM JULY 1984 UNTIL MARCH 1986. FROM MAY 1986 UNTIL JULY 1988 COMMANDER MONTGOMERY SERVED ON THE STAFF OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS AS HEAD SUR- FACE COMBAT DIRECTIONS SYSTEMS AND HEAD, AEGIS ADVANCED DEVELOPMENTS. IN 1988 HE COMPLET- ED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEGREE FROM NATIONAL UNIVER- SITY IN SAN DIEGO. FOLLOWING HIS OPNAV TOUR COMMANDER MONTGOMERY ATTENDED THE NATION- AL WAR COLLEGE WHERE HE GRADUATED WITH THE CLASS OF 1989. COMMANDER MONTGOMERY ' S PERSONAL AWARDS INCLUDE THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL (GOLD STAR IN LIEU OF SECOND AWARD) AND THE NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL. HE IS MARRIED TO SUZANNE HANCOCK OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNL AND LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. THEY HAVE A SON, BRL N (1981) AND DAUGHTER, TRACY (1983).