El Paso (LKA 117) - Naval Cruise Book

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FFICER CTl2l'TQ'Mff5E2l'Cf'R?5Gl52Up - 24 in CLTCOLJ Richard T. Kohl LTCol Kohl is from ST. Paul, Minnesofa, and aTTended The Universify of Minnesofa. He graduafed from MankaTo STaTe College in 4966 wiTh a BA in Psychology. , Joining The Marine Corps Reserve in November 4965, LTCol Kohl came on acTive duTy in AugusT 4966 To aTTend The 4OTh Officer Candidafe School COCS3 class. Upon complefion of OCS, The 2ndLT Kohl wenT To The Basic School CTBSD, compleTing The course In May 4967. Before going To Viefnam, 2ndLT Kohl aTTended The Psychological OperaTions Course aT FT. Bragg, NC. Arriving in Vlefnam during July 4967, 2ndLT Kohl was assigned as a Plafoon Commander, 2nd Plafoon, A Co 4726 aT Khesanh. AfTer 6 monfhs he was assigned as AssisTanT S-4, Then as S-A for 4726. Refurning To The US in 4968 he was assigned To 2nd ITR, Camp Lejeune, as a Compar1Y Commander and Then as Special Senfices Officer. ln December 4969 LT. Kohl was ordered To Guam To be CO, Marine Defachmenf USS Profeus CAs-493. LT. Kohl was promofed To CapTain 4 Jan 4970. ReTurning To The US in January 4972, Capfain Kohl aTTended Amphibious Warfare School CAWS3. ln July 4972 he was ordered To Okinawa, becoming CO, L Co, 374. Refurning home in Sepfember 4973, he was assigned To The Training Branch aT HQMC sewing as an acTion officer, and laTer as an adminisTraTive assisTanT To The DirecTor of Training. ln May 4977 CapT Kohl was assigned To Recruifing DuTy in Minneapolis, Minnesofa. He was promofed To Major Ori 4 June 4977. The following year Maj Kohl was Transferred To Camp Elmore, Norfolk, VA, for duTy as The camp S-4. ln 4982 he wGS ordered To 3rd FSSG on Okinawa where he worked in The G-3 Operafions SecTion. He was XO for CSSD-33 during Team SpiriT 4933 and subsequenTly became CO of CSSD-32 deploying To Camp Fuji, Japan. Refurning To The US in Sepfember 4983, Major Kohl was assigned To Headquarters FMFLanT in The G-4 secTion. He was direcTly involved wiTh The logisTic supporl efforl for BeiruT as well G5 handling The war Trophy issue resulTing from Grenada. Promofed To his presenf rank on 4 OcT 4985, LTcol Kohl became The G-4 Operafions Officer aT FMFLanT. Reassigned To The Afh MEB in Augusf 4987, he became The AssisTanT G-4, unTil his assignmenf To 2d FSSG during May of This year. LT. Col Kohl's personal decorafions include The Purple Hearl, Meriforious Service medal wiTh Cold STar in lieu of second award, The Navy Commendafion Medal, wiTh Combaf V and The Navy Achievemenf Medal. He is married To The former Carleen D. Suennen Of Robinsdale Minnesofa They have Three children Julie Ann who is a member of The cl f 4994 T I A d ,dnd Two sons Michael 46 and Sfephen 42 boTh adopfed from Managua, Nicaragua. GSS O G The Us NGVG CG emy

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... - 4-- ... ..,1,,.,-T-v ---f-T.1-9-.-.f ---,...-Y---4-.,-.,-,-- I C12 IH, :I alll! 'l' ICER IN YEARS TO COME, HISTORY WILL NOTE THAT ROUGHLY SIX HUNDRED MEN, MARINES AND SAILORS , TRANSITED THE ATLANTIC ONBOARD THE USS EL PASO TO CONDUCT AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT MEDITERRANEAN BASIN. THESE MEN, DEDICATED TO PROFESSIONALISM, EARNED A WELL DESERVED RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP FROM OUR NATO ALLIES. CONSUMATE HARD WORK AND SELF DISCIPLINE IN THEIR TRAINING AT SEA AND PROFESSIONALISM ASHORE SIGNIFICANLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE BUILDING OF GOOD WILL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF WORLD PEACE AND FREEDOM TO DESCRIBE THE LIFE OF A SAILOR OR MARINE WOULD BE DIFFICULT HOWEVER THE PICTURES CONTAINED WITHIN THIS CHRONICLE ARE AN ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT GLIMPSE OF LIFE ONBOARD AND ASHORE DURING MARG I 90 IT IS MY HOPE IN YEARS TO COME THIS BOOK MAY BE UTILIZED BY THE STRONG MEN THAT SAILED ONBOARD THE USS EL PASO TO DESCRIBE TO THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS NOT ONLY THE DAILY OPERATIONS THAT TRANSPIRED BUT ALSO THE SPECIAL PRIDE AND CAMARADERIE SHARED BY THE SAILORS AND MARINES WHO MADE THIS SIX MONTH FLOAT II 1 W g 'U'xr 5,3992 'Mfg Ji-e US S E1Paso ILKA 1171 f I I I -, ' I I I , . 1 3 ,R , 1 -'Uv' ID E 25. Y-ww' I L ' '. 5 A iQ- I v': .. 'X -N, , 21: . .1 fW '- W W , 'I U F11 , ' - ' Em A f gn 1 fm - , ' . .g, , J' -1.12 . I V , Q 1' O 'QI ff A l ' W , liz f f7- ma l' T 'U U H+ fm News - -, I Qf vB rlfmxw ' . A, NAI' . i'?f f-E 1 . 'T T-LA r A .. f JE? 2. 25, 14-'1Qu'M f ln. , 5 ' I 1 , - , 44 ' wdixlq I , . l . H T ex ,, a XX? I. . - Am- fvn' It x -M. 0.3 , 'I -Yin -Str .-:.7Q1,,--mi., ,.f I I . ,,c..i- n--. :.- gin? - ' 1 l I I ' I

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.,.. ,. ..- --V-sM..,,--. --.,-.,---1-.-F --f-..--.3.1-1-- ---'fr:--y-'- EXECUTIVE CEEICE uss EL PAso CLKA-4475 Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Naval Reserves in 4972 as a Re- serve Officer Candidate. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Central University of lowa Pella, Iowa, he attended officer candidate school. He was commissioned in November 4975 as an Ensign in U.S. Naval Resenfes. His first tour of duty was aboard USS SUMTER CLST-44843 home- ported in Little Creek, Virginia. Over a three year period he held billets as damage control assistant and main propulsion assistant and earned his designation as a surface warfare officer. Transferring ashore, he was assigned as project manager representative for Naval sea systems command PMS-300 combatant crafts. During his tour he was instrumental in the developmental and operational test and evaluation of special forces warfare craft Seafox and MK Ill 65 patrol boat armament modifications. Selected to department head school, in Newport. Rhode Island, he subsequently senfed as commissioning ship's control officer aboard USS GALLERY CFFG-261 commissioned in Bath, Maine and later homeported in Mayport, Florida. Returning to the amphibious community, he senfed his sec- ond department head tour as first lieutenant aboard USS SPIEGEL GROVE CLSD-325 homeported in Little Creek, Virginia. Screened for post graduate education, he completed and was awarded a Mas- ter of Science in information systems from Naval Post Graduate School Monterey, California. His follow on assignment as current operations and plans officer onboard commander cruiser destroyer group eight staff found him developing, planning, executing and monitoring the fleet readiness of 54 fleet units comprised of bat- tleships, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and six desron staffs. Specif- ically, he was responsible for the major integration of the CVBG and MARG!LF6F units during MED 4-89 workups and deployment. Screened for selection as an executive officer, he returned once again to Newport, Rhode Island for training enroute to the USS EL PASO CLKA-4 473, his third amphibious unit. Lieutenant Commander O'Rourke has been awarded the Navy commendation medal Cwith starb, Navy achievement medal, sea senlice ribbon and battle efficiency ribbon. Lieutenant Commander O'Rourke is married to the former Mari- anne Swank of Pella, lowa. They have two children - Patricia and Michael and reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia. LCDR Sean O'Rourke, US Navy ff!!! A ff? , X . W f J I+ Lieutenant Commander Shawn T. O'Rourke was born in Newton?