El Paso (LKA 117) - Naval Cruise Book

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During the period of June 20 through December 20 1991 USS EL PASO was forward deploy ed to the European Theater of Operations as part of Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group 2-91 (MARG 2-91). Other ships in MARG 2-91 were USS WASP (LHD-i), USS PONCE (LPD-15), and USS SUMTER (LST-1181), all under the command of Commander, Amphibious Squadron Four. Embarked in the MARG ships were the U.S. Marines assigned to Two Six Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), or 26 MEU (SOC). The mission of an Amphibious Ready Group is to be forward deployed fully ready to respond to any contingency. For instance, it was the MARG that initially provided aid to Kur- dish refugees being persecuted by Iraq as part of Operation Provide Comfort. When not responding to contingencies the MARG trains with Marines and Navies from Mediterranean littoral countries and supports the U.S. military presence mission by conducting port visits. This book contains a visual presentation of EL PASO ' s participation in MARG 2-91; I hope that you will enjoy i t! The deployment started before it began. That is, the crew worked long hard hours for months before leaving Norfolk, Virginia to ensure the ship was ready for sustained operations an ocean away from its primary logistic support base. The hard work paid off handsomely as the ship entered the Mediterranean fully trained and free of any mission degrading equipment casualties. We were well trained and eager to take our turn relieving the ships that served in the Med during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Upon entering the Mediterranean, EL PASO and other MARG ships were dispatched to Italian ports to support the U.S. Ambassador ' s pro- gram for American 4th of July celebrations in Italy. We visited Genoa, Italy where our sailors and Marines helped co-host an American-style cook-out for over 400 dignitaries. Genoa was the first of what turned out to be a wide variety of exciting port visits. During our months in the Mediterranean we visited Haifa, Israel; Benidorm, Spain; and Almeria and Cartagena, Spain. I am tremendously proud to relate that EL PASO sailors and Marines were outstanding Ambassadors-at-large for the United States. Wherever they went they made good friends and positive impressions earning accolades of praise from local U.S. Consulates for their performance ashore. Of course, we also had much fun acting as our country ' s ambassadors of good will which the photos in this book clearly portray. Having the luxury of a crisis-free deployment, our schedule was well balanced between operational events and port visits. Operationally, after our stop in Genoa we were immediately sent to Turkey to assume a support role for Operation Provide Comfort. We executed our support func- tions to the Kurdish refugee operations for the first five weeks of the deployment before being released for follow-on tasking. Upon being released we immediately headed for Tunisia to conduct an amphibious trai ning exercise with the Tunisian military. Other operational tasking included: bilateral training exercises with the French Marines in Camp de Canjuers; participation in the major NATO exercise for the Southern Region in Europe called Display Determination; combined sea-control exercise with Spanish, Greek, and United Kingdom Navy units (we acted as Commander of the opposition forces, which was a great experience for the EL PASO); and bilateral amphibious exercise with Spanish forces in Camp Soto Mayer. We have tried to capture some of the flavor of our many operational experiences in these pages but I must tell you that the photos do not begin to show the hard work and superb professional performance of the young men who serve their country on board EL PASO. I ' ve watched them perform their demanding duties under arduous conditions and have been humbled by the example they set in their selfless devotion to duty in service of their country. As you can undoubtedly tell, I am tremendously proud of the sailors and Marines of EL PASO and of their many noteworthy accomplish- ments. Throughout this deployment they positively represented the very best our country has to offer. As you page through this chronicle of our journey I ' m sure you will see why I consider myself lucky to be their Commanding Officer.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR Robert M. Rider, of Boulder, Colorado, was commissioned through the NESEP program at University of Louisville in December, 1976. After commission- ing, LCDR Ryder reported to USS WILLIAM C. LANE (DD-763) in September 1978 as Communication Officer and Navigation Officer. His second tour was on the USS JOSEPHUS DANIELS (CG-27), serving as Missle Ordnance Systems Officer. LCDR Ryder was assigned shore duty in November 1983 at Naval Weapons Training Group Atlantic as a Team Leader Inspector. After Department Head School, he reported on board the USS FARRAGUT (DDG-37) to serve as Weapons Officer. After successfully completing that tour, he received orders to the USS COCHRANE (DDG- 21) to serve as Executive Officer. On December 9, 1990, LCDR Rider assumed duties as the Executive Officer onboard USS EL PASO (LKA-117). LCDR Rider ' s personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Com- puter Science from the University of Louisville. LCDR Rider is married to the former Jeanne Ljnin of Fredericksburg Virginia. They have two daughters, Heather and Carolyn. LCDR ROBERT M. RIDER, USN EXECUTIVE OFFICER 6