Kansas City (AOR 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER, Captain Ernest E. Christensen Jr.

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Copfoin Chrisrensen was born, July 1942, in An- napolis, Maryland. The son of o coreer novol officer, he also chose the service, groduoring from the U.S. Naval Academy in June of 1964. He rhen enrered flight training and received his wings in March of 1966, becoming the Navy ' s first third generation No- vo! Aviator — his grandfather hod token port in the first trons-Atlontic flight in 1919. Following training in the A4C Skyhowk ot NAS Lemoore, California, he joined Attack Squadron One Hundred Thirteen (VA-110) and deployed, in October 1966, on the first of four Vietnam combat cruises aboard USS ENTERPRISE. In August of 1968, after com- pleting more than 200 combat missions over North Vietnam and two cruises oboord ENTERPRISE, he was reassigned to duty os an instructor pilot with Attack Squadron One Hundred Seventy-four (VA-174) ot NAS Cecil Field, Florida. In October 1968, he was selected as o demon- stration pilot with the Navy ' s Flight Demonstration Teom, the BLUE ANGELS, Following two years with the BLUES , he wos transferred to duty flying the F4 Phantom with Fighter Squadron One Hundred For- ty-two (VF-142) and completed two more combat cruises aboard Enterprise between June 1971 and June 1973. In 1975, after a year as a student ot the Naval War Colleg e (groduoting with Highest Distinction), he wos ordered to serve as Operations Officer of the West Coast ' s F4 Fighter Troining Squadron One Hun- dred Twenty-one (VF-121), where he served until screened for command in November of 1977. From April 1978 until June 1981, he was Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer of Fighter Squodron One Hundred Fourteen (VF-114), flying the F4 Tom- cat. Between July and November 1981, he served as Operations Officer for Commander, Fighter Early Warning Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In December of 1961, he was selected to command Topgun, the Navy fighter weapons school at NAS Miromor, Coli- fornio. He remained there until ordered to the com- mand of Carrier Air Wing Two, which he assumed in August of 1983. Detaching from there in December 1984, he re- ported to the Pentogon, where he served first as TA- CAIP, onolyst ond later os Deputy Director ond, for four months, acting director of OPA, the principal mili- tary staff advisor to the Secretory of the Novy. De- parting the Pentogon in August 1986, he began train- ing OS PCO of USS KANSAS CITY and took command in April of 1987. Captain Christensen has occumuloted over 5,000 flight hours in tactical aircraft with more than 1,000 carrier arrested landings. He flew 360 combot missions over North Vietnam between 1966 and 1973 and earned 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, o Meritorious Service Medal, 27 Air Medols, ond 6 Novy Commendation Medols with Combat V , among numerous other owords ond ribbons. He is married to the former Leslie Carpenter of Virginia Beach, Virginia. They hove three children: Kathleen, 18; Cory, 13; and Catherine, 11

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Lieutenant Commander Foley was born in Chi- cago, Illinois on 28 March 1943 and raised in Moun- tain Home, Arkansas, the son of Mrs. Dorothy Hud- son. He attended Mountain Home High School in Ar- kansas and Notionol University in Son Diego, Califor- nia where he graduated Magna Cum Loude, earning o Bachelor ' s Degree in Public Administration. He enlisted in the Novy in 1961 and served suc- cessively on USS LINDENWALD (LSD-6). USS MOUN- TRAIL (APA-213), USS LEXINGTON (CVS-16), and USS TACONIC (AGC-17). Staff duty as a member of COM- PHIDGRU FOUR ond COMPHIDGRU TWO wos fol- lowed by assignment to USS RALEIGH (LPD-1) and USS NOAH (DD-841). While serving as Senior Instructor and Noval Reserve Recruiter ot Naval Reserve Train- ing Center, Son Mateo, Californio, he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and selected as o Worrent Offi- cer (Boatswain). As o Warrant Bootswoin he returned to sea, in- itially OS First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer on USS APACHE (ATF-67) and subsequently as Ship ' s Boat- swain on USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD.39). Ordered ashore, Lieutenont Commander Foley reported to Recruit Training Command, Son Diego, California where he served successively as Battalion Com- mander, Assistant Military Training Officer, and Legal Officer. Selected as o Limited Duty Officer, he served a three year tour as First Lieutenant on USS SAMUEL GOMPERS (AD-37). Chosen for the Officer Degree Completion Program, he completed his degree re- quirements and reported for duty as Service Croft Of- ficer at Naval Station, Son Diego, California. His lost assignment as a Limited Duty Officer was on USS RO- ANOKE (AOR-7). While serving in that billet, he was selected for transfer to the Unrestricted Line Commu- nity OS a Surface Warfare Officer. Selected for eorly command, Lieutenont Commander Foley reported to USS EXCEL (MSO-439) where he served os Com- manding Officer from April 1985 until October 1986. Following his commond tour, he reported to USS KANSAS CITY (AOR-3) os Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Foley has been award- ed the Meritorious Service Medal, Novy Commenda- tion Medal (2), Novy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Citation (2), Good Conduct Medal (3), Novy Expeditionary Medal, Notional De- fense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2), Vietnam Service Ribbon with three bronze stars. Humanitarian Service Medal, Sea Ser- vice Deployment Ribbon with silver star, Vietnam Unit Gollentry Cross, Vietnam Personal Gallantry Cross, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Expert Rifle Medal and Expert Pistol Medal. Lieutenant Commander Foley is married to the former Zenoido B. Antonio of Cuyopo, Nuevo Ecijo, Republic of the Philippines. They currently reside with their son, Roberto Lee, in Vollejo, California.