Merrill (DD 976) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 104 of the 1995 volume:

? V, Bei-iug Sea r ' % , North Pacific Ocean %% a i_ .? . - ' ■ 1 South Pacific Ocean n ©Copyright ledrt Wflle orin Military Pubitcaiions USS MERRILL (DD-976) WESTPAC 1995 USS Mernll (DD-976) 1 USS MERRILL (DD-976) USS MERRILL (DD-976) is the fourteenth SPRUANCE class destroyer and the eighth to join the Pacific Fleet. MERRILLI is homeported in San Diego and assigned to Destroyer Squadron SEVEN. Commissioned 11 March 1978, USS MERRILL ' completed four years as the Navy ' s designated test platform for the Tomahawk Cnaise Missile System and in April 1985 MER- RILL was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for her superior perfoiTnance. On 18 April 1988, while flagship for Commander Surface Action Group BRAVO, MERRILL delivered 5-inch gunfire against Iran ' s armed Sassan oil platform dur- ing Operation PRA ' HNG MANTIS, resulting in the neutralization of the platform. MERRILL received the Combat Actioni Ribbon, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and another Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon for her role in this operation. As a member of Joint Task Force-FIERY VIGIL in June 1991, MERRILL earned a Joint Meritorious Unit Award for assist- ing in the evacuation of over 20,000 personnel from the Philippines after volcanic eruptions devastated the majority of Subic Bay, including Clark Air Base. Shortly thereafter from July to September 1991, MERRILL engaged in suppoi ' t of mine coun- termeasures efforts in the north Arabian Gulf during Operation DESERT STORM. Operating in close proximity to the Iraq and Kuwait theater of operations, MERRILL assisted in completing the most complex and dangerous mine clearance opera- tions in the history of mine warfare. Designed and built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries in Pascagouia, Mississippi. MERRILL is a mem- ber of the first major class of surface ships in the U.S. NaN y to be powered by gas turbine engines. Four General Electric LM- 2500 engines- marine versions of those used on DC- 10 and C-5A aircraft- drive the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots. Twin contr ollable-reversible pitch propellers provide MERRILL with a degree of maneuverability unique among warships of her size. A highly versatile multi-mission destroyer. MERRILL is capable of operating independently or in company in Amphibious or Carrier Task Forces. Her overall length is 563 feet and she displaces 9200 tons. MERRILL ' S primary missions include both Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare. MERRILL ' S .sonar, the most advanced underwater detecticm and fire control .system yet developed, is fully integrated into a digital Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS), providing the ship with faster and more accurate processing of target information. Integration of the ship ' s digital gun fire control system into NTDS provides quick reaction in the performance of the ship ' s mission areas of shore bombardment, surface warfare action, and anti- aircraft warfare. I-.S,SM.Trill(I)D-976) THE SHIP ' S CREST The coat of arms ofUSS MERRILL (DD-976) serves as a heraldic remembrance of the ship ' s namesake, Vice Admiral Aaron Stanton Merrill. The colors blue and gold are the tra- ditional colors of the United States Navy and the red, white and blue, our national colors, allude to the ship ' s motto, SPIRIT OF 76. The waves symbolize his expertise in surface seamanship and demonstrated knowledge of warfare tactics. The anchor represents loyalty and Naval Leadership, together with the crescent moon, an emblem of the night, refers to the sobri- quet, THE NAVY ' S NIGHTFIGHTER. The three stars refer to Vice Admiral Merrill ' s highest rank achieved. The arrow is a symbol of leadership and material readiness. The ship ' s motto, SPIRIT OF ' 76, cou- ples the year of MERRILL ' S christening and her hull num- ber and the nation ' s bicentennial. In addition, this expres- sion aptly summarizes characteristics which made Vice Admiral Merrill one of the Navy ' s greatest leaders ... courage, decisiveness and dedication. SHIP DESIGN CHARACTERISTI CS Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries Keel Laid 16 June 1975 Christened 1 September 1976 Commis-sioned 11 March 1978 Length 563 Feet 4 Inches Beam 55 Feet Draft 30 Feet Displacement 8,200 Tons Complement 24 Officers 327 Enlisted Speed 30-PIus Knots Aircraft Two SH-60B Helicopters Propulsion Four General Electric LM-2500 Marine Gas Turbine Engines (Total - 80,000 Shaft Horsepower! Armament Two 5-inch 54 Caliber Gun Mounts MK 112 ASROC Launcher Two MK 32 Torpedo Tubes NATO Seasparrow Harpoon Close In Weapons System (CIWS) Ship ' s Crest Vice Admiral Aaron Stanton Merrill USS MERRILL (DD-976) is named in honor of Vice Admiral Aaron Stanton Merrill, U.S. Navy ( 1890-1961 ), an outstanding Cruiser Destroyer and Task Force Commander during World War II. A native Mississippian, Admiral Tip Merrill achieved extraordinary success during the United States Navy ' s first offensive operations against the enemy in the South Pacific. Most notable of his naval successes was the epic Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, a brilliantly execut- ed night action in which Merrill ' s small boys and cruisers defeated a more powerful enemy naval group sent to drive the newly entrenched American land sea forces from the Solomon Islands area. His bold leadership, daring tactics, and indomitable fighting spirit during this battle and other naval actions contributed greatly to the success in the recapture of the Solomon Islands and won him the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit with two Cold Stars. ■.Ill .Mernll WESTPAC 1995 Chronology of Events 13 April 05 - 10 May 14 - 19 May 29 May 30 May - 04 June 06 June - 12 June 13 June 11 July 17 - 23 July 24 - 26 July 29 July - 14 Aug 19 - 22 August 22 August 31 August 04 - 07 September 09 September 18 September 29 Sep - 03 Oct 03 - 08 October 09 October Underway from San Diego, CA Inport Hong Kong Inport Singapore Inchop to CTF 159 Inport Manama, Bahrain Inport Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates Underway for Maritime Interdiction Operations in Northern Arabian Gulf WESTPAC Halfway Point Inport Dubai, U.A.E. Inport Manama Bahrain Inport Dubai, U.A.E. Inport Muscat, Oman Underway for Operation VIGILANT SENTINEL Kuwaiti Tanker Rescue At Sea Inport Dubai, U.A.E. Outchop Fifth Fleet Equator Crossing Inport Pearl Harbor, HI Tiger Cruise Inport San Diego, CA! Chronology ANCHORS AWEIGH! USS MERRILL (DD-976) departed Pier Seven on the morning of 13 April 1995 for her first deployment since 1991. All hands were ready as MERRILL commenced WESTPAC ' 95 ... LT Kitzmiller scans the harbor for traffic (Above). r MKliKlLL backs away from Pier Seven (Above). J STGSN Hams FC3 Midelton with their wives i Above). P arewell until Octoberl i Above). STGSN Brooks takes in a Une (Below). wayr CDR Arnold checks the lines (Above). The manning of the rails as WESTPAC ' 95 begins (Above). Anchors Aweigh! Men At Work Every member of MERRILL ' S crew plays a vital role in the success of the ship ' s mission. No matter what his job or rank, a MERRILL sailor always does his best. It ' s all in a day ' s work ... GMGl Sacco presents his spaces to the CO during a zone inspection (Above). The Corpsmen are always ready to offer medical assistance (Left). ! ' .)(! (Irani is ready for actum clunn a ' vv drill (Above). Tl James and DCFN Clausen prepare to connect the lip ' s sewage line (Left). 8 Mtn at Work GMG3 Debelak takes pride in keeping MERRILLs weapon in top condition (Above). BMKSW) Pursell and SH3 Francodelgado complete their business in the ship ' s store (Above). ENl McGhee keeps the Auxihary equipment going strong (Below). BM2(SW) Johnson and SN Brooks maintain a sharp lookout while alongside a refueling vessel (Above). STG2 McKec, STG2 Milburn, STG2 Darlas, and STGl Lum conduct ASW training (Right). f Hj wrm ' . H ' —rjlj . S P B J Hi iJi _, Men at Work UNREP Replenishment at Sea The prubo is seated and MERRILL is readv to receive fuel i Above i. Refueling at sea by its very nature presents a unique challenge to all hands involved in the evo- lution (Above). Teamwork is a must! BMl(SW) Pursell maintains a safe environment at the fuel- ing station (Right). USS SACK XMEN ' I ' O delivers some supplies in a coniicclcd n plcnishincnt (Above) yt t,lfc5 ' ' L GMG2 Gurr and BM3 Ogletree begin to move stores as BM3 Williams looks on (Above). Vertical replenishment can also be accomplished on the forecastle (Right). VERTREP Supplies from the Sky VERTREP 11 V. B. S. S. One of MERRILL ' S primary missions in the Gulf was to enforce the United Nations ' sanctions against Iraq. The Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (V. B. S. S) team was always ready for quick action whenever duty called. FC3 Rucker, ENC(SW) Leaf and ihe rest of the team are ready to go (Above). MERRILL ' S Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure team (Above). LTJG Mill.s prepare.s to lead the team in one of three suc- ces.sful boardings of merchant vessels suspected of violating U.N. sanctions (Above). BM3 Edwards and EN3 Ballard were vital members of the team (Right). STG2(SW) Pothier, STG2(SW) Friedrich, and TMSN Ozuna gather then- gear for the trip i Above). % STG2(SW) Bryan is plugged in and ready (Above). The team cautiously approaches a suspect vessel (Left). Using embarked SH-60B helicopters from SHL-49 Det 4 and her own small boat, MERRILL conducted safe and effective contra- band and paperwork searches on three suspect merchant vessels. V.B.S.S. 13 Special Evolutions There ' s more than one way to receive necessary supphes MERRILL operating in close formation with the Battle f Above). Group carrier (Above). .,,:: 4 t-jA.JJf Tactic. 1 maneuvennj; always presents a challenging en ironincnl ic(|uii-ing team wm k Ikjiu all IIki.sc iiiMiKcd lAbine) 14 Special Kviihiliuni SomelinieB MERRILL not only receives fuel but gives fuel away as well. In August one of the new Navy Patrol Craft (USS CYCLONE) was a bit low on gas, and MERRILL was more than ready to lend a hand (Above and Right). MERRILL embarked an explosive ordnance detachment for opera- tions in the Northern Ara- bian Gulf. The detach- ment conducted complex mine disposal exercises using ship as well as heli- copter assets (Left). MERRILL was one of the first Spruance class destroyers to receive such a team. Special Evolutions 15 Flight Operations Red Stinger 111 gets ready for a perfect landing (Above). The flight deck crew takes a break between Deck Landing Qualil cations (Above). MERRILL ' S embarked Helo Detach- ment was led by Officer- in-Charge LCDR Tim Coolidge and consisted of two SH-60B helicopters (Red Stinger 111 and Red Stinger 112), along with five additional officers and 15 enlisted person- nel. HSL-49 Det 4 flew over 940 hours during the deployment, achieving a 100% mission completion rate. In September, the ship and detachment partic- ipated in an emergency medical evacuation of an Egyptian crew member severely injured in a Kuwaiti tanker explo- sion. AW2(AW) Liljequist and AW2(AW) Pcarce received Navy Achieve- ment Medals for their efforts in the rescue. k Fl.l ' t: ' f pH AMHAN Quade, AEAN McClary, and Al;:i VVhyte discuss plans in the helo hangai ' (Above). Even while in Dubai, helicopter oper- ations continue when necessary (Left). Wl(AWi Vasquez and LCDR Coolidge talk about the upcoming Vline Disposal exercises with two members of the embarked Explo- sive Ordnance Disposal Team (Above). Red Stinger 111 participates n a vertical replenishment (Right). Fliglit Ops 17 SX Brooks stands watch on the bridge (Above I. OPS on his trusty laptop ' Below 1. Any Day on WESTPAC DK3 Endlich performs some PM! (Above left). FC2 Beers takes care o his spaces (Above). GMC(SW Manupella (Below). GSM(!(S ' Helton and (JSM2 Torres work together (iunti).; an UNKKI ' (Above )SSN Hilligostf and 0S3 Natividad track and pU)t contact Above . Parti EN2 Gonzales keeps busy on watch in AUX One (Above). Standing watch is part of the majority of MERRILL sailors daily routine at sea. 5TG2(SW) Bryan paints one of CA s j)- vays ' Above). LT Estes takes a bi ' eak in the Engineering logi ' oom (Above). Anv Dav ... 19 DC Olympics MERRILL ' S Damage Control Olympics were held in August, thanks to the hard work and preparation by R Division. All those who participated had a gi ' eat chance to prove their DC skills, but when all was said and done MP Division took the crown. The race to put on each OBA begins ... (Above and Belo w) ¥i i? mw ' r -::: • ■k P iii IJC. ' I Calkins is always read}- to assist in Damage Control (Above Time is of the essence (Right and Left). Petty Officer Tsiatsos leads the way as MP Division makes a run at the DC title (Left). The XO observes the action as this team tries to unravel its firehose (Above). 3CC(SW; Parker makes sure the fire fighting ensembles are worn correctly NAV AD Department ' s team goes for the Above). gold (Above). DC Olympics 21 HTl Kelly manages to smile while working in the Middle East summer temperatures (Above). HANDCLASP! MERRILL crew members volunteered their time and energy for two Project Hand- clasp community service activities while over- seas. In Hong Kong (Above), volunteers helped out at a center for mentally handi- capped persons, while in Dubai (below) MER- RILL sailors sweated it out at a local school building. I ' NCSi. V ' .S.S).Mart(. ' lij(jin.-, with sailors rroiiiMKKKILL an ABRAHv VI LINC;OLN in the Hong Kong project (Above). MERRILL sailors are always ready to help out! The Dubai vol- unteers after a hard day ' s work (Left). FC2 Garber knocks down a decaying wall at the National British Curricu- lum School in Dubai (Above). OSKSW) Chris- tensen, 0S3 Wilson, PNSN Lopez, and FC2 Porcel help with renovations (Above right). Looks like it ' s time for a break for these MER- RILL sailors (Right). Handclasp 23 Men At Play When the work is done and all tasking is com- plete, MERRILL sailors will definitely be found enjoying their time off. Whether working out, playing sports, or just sightseeing, MERRILL sailors know how to enjoy rest relaxation. Who will be the Court Jester? (Above) 0S2 Miller, 0S3 Cole, and OS2 Cruz relax in the Elvis bar in Hong Kong (Above Left). EM3 Lenhard and ICFN Neves prepare for their fishing trip (Above). SN Chudy goes for the kill in an intense water polo game in Bahrain (Left). Men al i ' iuy TJG Dalena, LT Anderson, LTJG Cox, and LT Kitzmiller smile for the amera ... but LTJG Arnaldo is not amused (Above). TMSN Ozuna gets et for some cliff-diving in the Middle East (Right). The mystery break lancer is in the house (Below). GSMC(SW) Helton tapes a message for his family back home (Above). Men at Play 25 steel Beach Picnics LT Alexander helps out in the sun (Above) STG2 McKee and ()S2 Vasquez relax on I he roiccastlej (Above). [ TJG Glidden and LTJG Nasal on the serving line (Above ). Something to look forward to on the weekend (Above) Members of the wardroom cook burgers for the crew (Above) SK3 Kjar pauses from his meal ... he must i)e thinking about those Cornhuskers ' Above). A change of scenery from the mess decks (Left). Picnic 27 International PIZZA NIGHT TTT Every Saturday night while under- way was Interna- tional Pizza Night on board MER- RILL. All hands were invited to design and cook tasty pizzas for their shipmates. GMG3 Coffey bakes the perfect crust (Above). f ' |)|{ Arnold and MSC(SW) Nally supervise the pi za crew (Above) FN Escudero adds the secret ingredient (Above). 28 Pizza NiKhl Birthday Meal The monthly MERRILL Birthday Meal was always a special event for the crew. Not only were the cake and ice cream worth waiting for, but the crab legs, lobster, and shrimp wex-e the coup de gi-ace. rhe crew can ' t wait to eat all that cake (Above). Celebrating birthdays in the Arabian Gulf bove). CDR Arnold and DCFN Clausen cut the cake (Above I. AV AW) White checks out his hand (Above). FCl Porter and HTl James take on the CO XO (above). Birthdays and Cards 29 •M y h . IL — , i9 11 L@_] i ' .n-% ! Let ' s Play Ball! Despite soaring temperatures and a slightly less than green field, nothing could stop the MERRILL boys of summer from playing some Softball in the Middle East. GSE2 Grunz puts one over the plate (Above Left). EWClSW Thomas rounds second and heads for third (Above). DC ' 3 Holtz lunges for the bag (Above). KM3 Fucntes makeij an attempt to beat the throw home (Below). OSliSW) N ' erkiri i.s on ;i ini.-iMoii l(j .stoic, but I ' ett Olfuci Ballard won ' t give an inch (Above). ! nd This Year ' s Batting Title Goes To ... B H ■ ■H .- flp P - ' - ' w YNKSW) Saunders? (Above) OSKSWiVerkin? (Above) BMCS(SW) Bowden? (Above) RMC(SW) McKinnon? (Above) FCC(SW) Swann ( Left ) or DCS Holtz? (Right) Z3 i Lii M -fl| B 19 ■EII MM V 4. Softball 31 HOOP DREAMS WTiether at sea or on shore, MERRILL sailors always seem to find a way to the basketball coixrt. Needless to say, playing on the flight deck always called for special precautions (Right). ( Oncentration is the name of the game (Above). V inner buys the ice water (Above) 32 Hoop DruaniH KEEPING FIT Many crew members made working out a part of their daily routine in order to stay in shape, both physi- cally and mentally. MERRILL ' S weight room was always crowded, as were the motivating workouts with the EOD team. iving fun in the sun on the missile deck (Above). MER- Thank you sir, may I have another! (Above). LTJG Eldred CLL sailors give the EOD guys more than they can handle skips some rope while the ship is in Dubai (Below). elow). 1 — HB w 1 1 Bt«_ ' ' ' ' ■ ' ■- fcp -  Keeping Fit 33 GMGSN Brady on the fantail (Above I. EMC(SWi Aragon i Below i. Any Day on WESTPAC . IS3 Hernandez and SH3 Becker dis- cuss the correct PMS procedures (Left). SK( ' Fontimayor and the First Lieu- tenant (Below). tj ' —- ' W s. Hr ■« '  -- 1 3 m juui STGKSW) Haverstick finds a place ' relax (Above). GSE3 Cooper has some tiduhlc vit| his camcorder (Above). ii ■•..,. I).,. )S:; Mahoney and OSl Singel pause before tadmg to the Combat Information Center Above I.MERRILL holds a Burial at sea cer- mony several days out of San Diego (Below). Part II Another special Sea Anchor detail for the men of MERRILL ' s Deck Division (Above). An award-winning day for EMI Hegwood and EM3 Nguyen (Above). Any Day ... 35 Fish Call Although MERRILL ' S Schedule of Events did not leave much extra time for fishing underway, a handful of dedicated anglers never missed the opportunity to test the ole ' rod reel. ICFN Neves carefully handles the monster fish known as Jaws: The Early Years (Above). HT3 Follmer pulls in the catch of the day (Right). DCS Brown and DCl Calkins test the waters in Hong Kong Harbor (Below). A group of lucky raffle winners take the RHIB out for a leisurely Sunday afternoon of fishing (Below Right). DC3 Brown and DCFN Bunitz are determined to catch something before the sun sets (Above). fust another typical Sunday afternoon at the ishin Hole (Above). FC3 Etter and LT Dalena ' s •other bring in dinner on the Tiger Cruise (Below i. Fish Call 37 Over the Hump! 11 July 95 marked a much anticipated date for MER- RILL ... Hump Day! 90 days down and 90 more to go. To celebrate the occasion, the ship celebrated with a skeet shoot, free throw contest, and Talent Show. liMli.SW. I ' ur.stll and l ' .. l;i VVili,iiii (lanif awav svilli llu- Mu.nI CriMlivf .Award It ' s all m 1 he Ic(hnic|uc i Almx c (Above). 1TG2 Sarver wins third place in tlie free throw contest LiAll ' i.SW . lanup _lla .supervises the skeet shoot (Above). A.bove). IS2(S Vi Tucker . lep.-, In the line FN Rhodehamel wins again with the Best Comedy routine during the Talent Above). Show (Above). Ready, Aim, Fire (Far Left). RM3 Barrett fin- ishes second in the hoops contest ( Left). Hump Day! 39 Raffle MANIA! While in the Gulf MERRILL held a Mystery Box raffle, thanks to the surprise goodies sent by the Family Support Organization. Several hundred dollars were raised for the ship ' s Homecoming, and all those who partic- ipated had a blast. QMKSWj Ezell opens the result of hi.s winning bid (Above Do I hear $45? LTJG Eldred play.s auclionccr (Rinht). 40 RafflL- MS2(SW) Tucker checks out QMl(SW) Ezell ' s care package. Boxes with food from home were especially popular (Above). A big crowd gathers on the mess decks as the bid- ding goes up (Right). Going once going twice . I SOLD! • • • LT Biasoli and LT Van Wagoner hit the jackpot LTJG Cox and LTJG Dalena win enough candy for the rest of the lAbove). cruise (Above). Raffle 41 IF I COULD TALK TO THE ANIMALS MERRILL was joined by a guest on the transit across the Pacific ( Abovel. A close-up of our feathered friend (Above! GMG2 Gurr ills right in at the Equator Crossing Talent Show (Above). Street vendors in Hong Kong try to make a tough sell (Left). Animals 43 BRAVO ZULU Ney Award MSCCSWj Nally and his crew of professionals (Above) THE BEST IN THE PACIFIC MERRILL received the award for the best food ser- vice operation in the entire Pacific Fleet and finished second Navy-wide in the prestigious Ney Competition (Medium Afloat Category) for outstanding food ser- vices after judges inspected the ship ' s food service oper- ation in Singapore. This was the first time ever that MERRILL has received such an award. Bravo Zulu to everyone who put in the time and effort needed to earn such an outstanding honor! 44 Bravo Zulu BRAVO ZULU Top Gunslingers MERRILL was named the Top Gunslinger by Rear Admiral Yakeley, Commander, Carrier Group Three, following a Battle Group surface gun- nery exercise in May. The exercise focused on speed as well as accurate ord- nance on target. Great job to the men of CF Division who kept MT 51 MT 52 ready to go. Bravo Zulu 45 BRAVO ZULU New Chiefs NCC(SW) Coil, YNC(SW) Saunders, CTOC(SW) Williams As a Chief Petty Officer, you will b« forced to endure adversity. You must fac( each challenge with dignity and goo( grace. It is required that you be the foun tain of wisdom, the ambassador of goo( will, the authority in personal relation as well as in technical applications. Aslj the Chief is a household phrase in an( ' out of the Navy. -Excerpts from Chief Petty Officer Cree Ki l ' .r:.v., i BRAVO ZULU ESWS Over 30 MERRILL crew members earned their Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist quali- fications while on WEST- PAC 1995! 0S2 Cruz proves that the King of Rock and Roll is alive and well in a Hong Kong restaurant Above). WESTPAC FC3 Rucker decides to take in Tb Simpsons in CBS berthing durin; his off-time (Above). A (4ii)up 1)1 MKKRILL cxploifis .sec the sif ' hl.s of 1 loiiti Kong The ' I ' crroi- ( ' lull m Singapore was (IcrinilciN the plate I (Above). stay cool (Above). 48 Any Day . FC2 Porcel finds that the pool suits him just tine (Above) SN Simpson tries his hand at snorkeling in Dubai I Above). Part III Liberty Call! ( :r ;:hief Abbey and LCDR Coolidge hsten to sea stories at LT AW2(AW) Liljequist and LT Lawton kick back after a busy barker ' s retirement party (Above). day (Above). Any Day ... 49 THE CORNERSTONES OF USS MERRILL f (• ju _J- J JjH v 4 IH i 1 S Cornerstones 51 COMMANDING OFFICER CDR RICHARD R. ARNOLD Commander Arnold is a native of Boonville, Missouri. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975. His initia assignment was aboard USS FANNING (FF 1076) homeported in San Diego. California, where he served from Octobei 1975 to October 1978 as Electronic Material Officer, Gunnery Officer, and Navigator. After his initial sea tour, he attend ed the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California from November 1978 to -June 1980. He was awarded a Master ' . of Science Degree in Management. Commander Arnold next served aboard USS MERRILL (DD 976) homeported in Sar Diego, California, as Combat Systems officer from August 1981 to July 1984. Following this assignment, Commandci Arnold served as Assistant Team Leader of the Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific Atlantic Tomahawk Tact it a Qualification Team from July 1984 to August 1985. Commander Arnold was then assigned as Cruise Missile Officer al Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic, Dam Neck, Virginia, from August 1985 to February 1987. Following that tour in reported as Executive Officer of USS LEFTWICH (DD 984) homeported in PeaH Harbor, Hawaii, where he served Iron April 1987 to January 1989. In January 1989, C nnmander Arnold became the Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Oprr ation.s ' Director of Military Personnel (OP-13) in Washington D.C. where he served until July 1990. Commander Arnold then attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) in Washington D.C. from July 1990 to June 1991. After graduation he was assigned as a member of the National Defense University faculty where he piiniaiily taught the mili- tary component of National Security Strategy from June 1991 to July 1993. He reported to USS MERRILL (DU 97(J) a,- Commanding Officer in March 1994. Commander Arnold ' s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Scixum Medal, four Navy Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal. CO EXECUTIVE OFFICER LCDR Downey graduated from Holy Trinity Seminary in 1976 and the University of Texas-El Paso in 1978. His initial issignment was as First Lieutenant aboard USS BAGLEY FF 1069) in 1981. Subsequent tours included engineering )illets aboard USS MX. HOOD (AE 29) from 1981 to 1984 md USS LEAHY (CG 16) from 1984 to 1986. Following a ihore tour at Naval ROTC Unit, Rice University, and department Head School, he served as Engineer Officer iboard USS KNOX (FF 1052) from March 1989 to Septem- )er 1990. He then served his second Department Head tour is Engineer Officer aboard USS SEATTLE (AOE 3) from L990 to 1992. LCDR Downey next reported to Surface War- are Officers School in Newport, Rhode Island, as Director )f Engineering from August 1992 to November 1994. He •eported aboard USS MERRILL (DO 976) as Executive Officer in March 1995. LCDR JAMES P. DOWNEY COMMAND MASTER CHIEF Master Chief Wade is a native of Pontiac, Michigan. He graduated from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois, in 1970. His initial technical training was at Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida. His sea tours include USS 5HENANDOAH (AD 26), USS GARCL (DE 1040), USS BRADLEY (FF 1041), USS STEIN (FF 1065), USS VIAHLON S. TISDALE (FFG 27), and USS KNOX (FF 1052). STGM(SW) Wade earned his Enlisted Surface War- are Specialist designation while serving aboard USS BRADLEY (FF 1041), an d his first full assignment as :ommand Master Chief was aboard USS KNOX (FF 1052) n January 1992. Ashore he has had tours at the Fleet ASW Fraining Center and the Naval Education Training Sup- port Center, both located in San Diego. He served as Com- nand Master Chief at Helicopter Squadron Two, North .sland, and has also attended the Senior Enlisted Academy n Newport, Rhode Island. He reported to USS MERRILL DD 976) as Command Master Chief in June 1994. STGCM(SW) DOUGLAS M. WADE Combat Systems Department LT Kitzmiller Combat Systems !•( ■( ' Swjinn CF Division LT Barker CE Division LTJG Cox CA Division LTJG Koenig CF Division LTJG Mills CM Division V-;;« ' - ' 5iii.-. - - ..v yCC Svvann takes aim duiinj target praclicc (Above). il f.inih.ii .Sy,l.rii-- l)i|j;irtmt ' nt Combat Systems Department ETl(SW Egelhoff CE Dixdsion STGl Fuhs CA Division STGl Lyons CA Division STGCiSVV) Baumholser directs linehandling on the fantail in Singapoi ' e (Above). DSKAWlGray CE Division GMGl Greene CF Division STGl Jorgensen CA Division STGl Lum CA Division FCl Porter CF Division GMGl Sacco CF Division Combat Systems Department 55 Combat Systems Department ICl Stickney CE Division FCKAW SW) White CF Division FC2 Beers CM Division ET2 Bormann CE Division STG2 Bryan CA Division FC2 Etter CM Division .STG2 Fried rich (JA Division FC2 Garber makes repairs on the missile deck ( Above 1. F(;2 (Jarhcr CM Division FC2 -Jones CV Division DS2 Lmki CE Division DS2 Farman CE Division S ' r(;2 McK(N CA Divsion 56 Combut .SyHtomH IJfpartment Combat Systems Department ' ' C3 Nyhus performs maintenance on the Close-in Weapons System CIWSKAbovei. FC2 Studts CF Division IC2 Weis CE Division FC3 Backaric CM Division GMG3 Coffey CF Division FC3 Corona CF Division TM2(SW)Vasquez CA Division ET3 Davison CE Division Combat Systems Department 57 Combat Systems Department ET3 Jewett ( ' E Divisifin FC3 Kerns CM Division K I •} Liirigi K ' lj Lawson C;E Division ( E Division GMG2 Smith pi-oudly shows off Mount 52 (Above). nS.i Levy (;E Division (;m(;;{ hK■l; C F Division K( ' ;{ Midcltoii ( M Division ' jH riiiiili;it SvHl •IIl Di ' parlment Combat Systems Department ICFN Adams CE Division STGSN Collins TA Division TMSN Ozuna CA Division GMGSN Brady CF Division STGSN Brooks CA Division GMGSN Faight CF Division SN Neves CE Division STGSN Harris CA Division DS2 Lince and DSl (AW) Gray take care of business (Right). Combat Systems Department 59 Engineering Department LTJG Sander SMMO ENS Glidden R Division EMC Aragon E Division GSMC Asher MP Division GSMC Helton MP Division GSM2 ' SW; Spiflbauer tmd the Gremlin in . l;iin Imij iiic Kihuii OneiAhuve DCC(SW) Park R Division 60 Engineering Dcpii Engineering Department Petty Officei- Ballard takes the feadings in AL ' X One ( Above i GSMl Goldsmith MP Division HTl Kelly R Division ENl Lucas A Division GSM2 Benson MP Division DC2 Conway R Division EN2 Gonzales A Division GSE2 Grunz MP Division HT2 James R Division GSE2 Nguyen MP Division EN2 Schweiger A Division GSE2 Senteno MP Division Engineering Department 61 Engineering Department GSM2(SW)Spielbauer MP Division GSM2 Torres MP Division DC3 Bonitz R Division V l ' K|i M GSM2 Ward HT3 Aufenkamp MP Division R Division HT3 Follmer looks over the CSMP for R Division (Above). (;SM:{Clapp MP Division (JSlvi (hooper MP Division (;SM;i DAngelo MP Division (;SM3 Bowies MP Division (;,SM3 Depcralta Mi ' Division Engineering Department EN3 Dubbels A Division ENS Drimal A Division HT3 Follmer R Division GSM3 Greenstreet MP Division DC3 Holtz R Division GSE3 Johnston MP Division EM3 Lenhard E Division EM3 Louk E Division DC3 Lupkes R Division GSM3 Puntanilla MP Division GSM3 Tsiatsos MP Division Another busy day for GSE2 Sf nteno, CiSE3 Johnston, and GSE3 Coopei ' (Above). Engineering Department 63 Engineering Department FN Lloyd touches up the paint in M.E.R. Number Two (Above). FN Jackson MP Division DCFN Gunter R Division FN McKinney MP Division FN Maier MP Division KM FN N{, ' uyr-n E Division KNFN l uiinhy A F)ivision IK ' FN Rosier R Division FN Seolt MP Division FN BasiUo MP Division ' ' N Nierierriti l Division K ' FN Snyder K Division I ' A RI] ;illl■l•riIi ; ni-parlmont Engineering Department GSMFN Walters MP Division FN Williams MP Division FA Abasta A Division FA Blore E Division DCFN Clausen R Di ' ision FN Frost A Division FX Kelly E Division FN Lloyd MP Division ENFA Nicholson A Division FA Rhodehamel A Division IMFN Rothermel E Division GSEFA Thomas MP Division FN McKinney takes the daily heat stress survey (Right). vV 1 _JM fliliHL M- l Engineering Department 65 Operations Department ENS . i-nald() OC Division BMCS(SW)Bowden OD Division OSC Fi-agazi 01 Division RMC(SW)McKinnon OC Division EWC(SWiTh(ni OW Division USl (Jr. MC 01 Diviflit n KMl Kason I I Hiasoli, HM.i ( ' hoy, and K ' S ' A hallaid pivpaiv loi ' a Uil 115 ride OC Division (Above). 1 1-.. 1 ' Operations Department vM 1 Hardgi-ave I )( ' Division BMl Kassak OD Division ISl(SW)Ki-oetz OZ Division BMl Pursell OD Division OSl(SW)Singel OI Division CTMlSpiUane OZ Division OSl Verkin 01 Division CTAl Vortruba OZ Division CTOl Williams OZ Division C ' TR2 Courtney OZ Division 0S2 Cruz OI Division CTR2 Curtis OZ Division 0S2(SW)Fairchild OI Division CT02 Henze OZ Di Tsion BM2(SW) Johnson OD Division 0S2 King OI Division 0S2 Marnali 01 Division 0S2 Miller 01 Division CTR2(SW)Paproski OZ Division Operations Department 67 Operations Department (JS2 Shinaver 01 Division SM2 Starkey OC Division i{. ]:i L rn-a OC Divi. ion BM3 Ogletree hard at work in Muscat (Above). 0S2 Thomas OI Division RM2 Thomas or Division 0S2 Vasquez 01 Division KW;i Caslcilo OW Division ( l ' ():i ( ' Imrrhil () Division OS3 Clarke OI Division CTR3 Atterbui OZ Division OSa Cole OI Division H ' )p -rntionH Dr ' p.irtmfnt Operations Department 0S3 Crouch 01 Division KW3 ONeill OW Division CTR3 Crouch OZ Division RMS Fuentes OC Division 0S3 Garay 01 Division EW3 Hammons OW Division RM3 Pfenninger OC Division SM2 Starkey sends visual messages during tactical maneuvering (Above). Operations Department 69 Operations Department 0S3 Wilson OI Division BM;3 Wiltfong OD Division SM3 Wood 0( Division CTR3 Wyatt OZ Division BM ' ' .SW Ka.ssak, HMliSWi Pursdl, I5M2(SW) .lolinson, aii l SA l,owc lake ,i Hiiick lirvak uu ll forecii -itlc (Above). SN Brooks OD Division SN Corii ' v OD Division 70 Op -r;iti(iiiH D.D.iii, Operations Department CTMSN Deitz OZ Division CTMSN Harper OZ Division BMSN Hendrix OD Division OSSN Hilligoss OI Division RMSN Jacimore OC Division OSSN Johnson OI Division SN Lambert OD Division CTRSN Lehigh OZ Division (JTRSN Light OZ Division SN Lowe OD Division SN Simpson OD Division CTRSN Stringfeilow OZ Division BMSN Woodard OD Division SA Bellendir OD Division SA Chudy OD Division Operations Department 71 Operations Department SMSN Rogers hoists the signal to ships in formation (Above) 72 OperationB Department Operations Department SA Desarno OD Division BM3 Edwards OD Division RMSN Ford or Division SA Grier OD Di ' ision SA Huffman OD Division SN Jackson OD Division SA Lennep OD Division SA Mattar OD Division BMSN Rios OD Division SN Ross OD Division A rare breather for the flight deck crew (Left). 0S2 Runk, OS2 Vasquez, and OS3 Lantis in Tracker Alley (Below). Operations Department 73 HSL-49 Air Department i.iJC; Morrill HSL-49 Ai IHC( AW (Abbey HSL-49 AMHl Everhart HSL-49 AWl Vasquez HSL-49 AE2Kile HSL-49 Red Stinger 112 is always ready to fly, no inatlcr what (he loiulitions (Above). 74 Aii Department HSL-49 Air Department W2(AWiLiljequist HSL-49 AZ2 Mattocks HSL-49 AW2(AW) Pearce HSL-49 AD2 Williams HSL-49 AD3 Febus HSL-49 AT;i Rojo HSL-49 AT.S Whyte HSL-49 AEAN McClary HSL-49 AHMAN Quade HSL-49 Red Stinger 111 returns to MERRILL while the ship is mooied in Dubai, U.A.E. (Left). Air Department 75 Supply Department SHI Calixto S-3 DiNTsinn STGl(SW)Haverstick S-6 Division MSI Magtira S-2 Division SKI Valdez S-1 Division MS2 Coward S-2 Di ' ision Sh. ' ' SW Stephenson and Hll ' .i l- ' rancudelgado keep the ship ' s store in proper ordei ' i Above). MS2 Mahina S-2 Division 76 Supply Dcpiirtment Supply Department l2iS V) Stephenson S-3 Division 13 Francodelgado S-3 Division SH3 Matson gives another outstanding haircut, this time to STGl Fuhs (Above) A1S3 CiiU S-5 Division MS3 Hernandez S-2 Division SK3 Hitt S-1 Division SK3 Kjar S-1 Division Supply Department 77 Supply Department MS3 Oliver S-2 Division SK3 Popour S-1 Division MS3 Vargas S-2 Division MS3 Villanueva S-2 Division SHSN Andaya S-3 Division Navigation Administration LT Wiese Xav Admin QMl(SW)Ezell Nav Admin PNCS(SW SS) Martell Nav Admin QMCS(SW)Suffel Nav Admin HMC(SW)McElroy Nav Admin MAI Gabbard Nav Admin YNl(SW) Saunden Nav Admin QM2 Richter Nav Admin NCl(SW)Coil Nav Admin YN2 Stailey Nav Admin eT r? I Escudero gets a ;ter from the esert Duck ight). Navigation Administration 79 Navigation Administration YN2(SW) Vines Nav Admin PNSN Lopez Nav Admin ..Jf iyf PN3 Madlambayan Nav Admin PN3 Nam Nav Admin QMSN Baier Nav Admin SN Barick Nav Admin PN3 Madlambayan, YNl(SW) Saunders,; and PN3 Nam manage to have some fun while taking care of the ship ' s office (Below)jT FN Escudero Nav Admin YNSA Concelman Nav Admin . r . ' ' ,:-rr 80 Navigation AdminiHlrotion WESTPAC 1995 MEMORIES Memories 81 Hong Kong and Singapore MERRILL ' S first two port calls of the deploj-ment were the Asian nations of Hong Kong and Singapore. Sightseeing, shopping, and phoning home were high on everyone ' s agen- da after spending the previous several weeks crossing the Pacific Ocean. Keeping cool was key in this tropical climate (Above). Down- town Singapore was similar to major U.S. cities ... just ' watch that traffic (Below). The weather in Hong Kong Harbor isn ' t quite Hke in San Diego (Above Left). Since MERRILL was anchored in the harbor, a water taxi trans- ported sailors to and from shore. SN Pich searches for bargains in the marketplace (Above). LT Fountain checks out the downtown Hong Kong scene (Left). The floating restaurant in Hong Kong (Above). Singapore 83 GULF OPERATIONS MERRILL spent well over three months cruising the Persian Gulf in support in national interests. From Maritime Interdiction Operations to Opera- tion VIGILANT SENTINEL, MERRILL was alwavs readv for anv mission. EMC(SW) Aragon watches two aircraft carriers pass in the distance (Above). RefueHng at sea was done on a regular basis in the Gulf (Below). With th( nrrivai of a now Halllc Croup in the (Iiilf, MKKKILL ' s days on .station are almost complete (Above). 84 fii.lfo,, Bridge watchstanders keep an eye on the carrier (Above Left). Helicopter operations (Above). clo.se-up view of two Unit- id States Navy aircraft car- iers (Above). MERRILL ' s ilaritime Interdiction Oper- itions team participated in everal safe successful loardings while in the Gulf Right). Gulf Ops 8.5 LIBERTY In the Gulf From Bahrain to the United Arab Emirates to Oman, MERRILL sailors had a fantastic experi- ence seeing the sights and culture of the Middle East ... just don ' t forget the sunscreen! Some members of CA Divi- sion take a camel ride (Above Left). Who could for- get Pancho in Dubai? (Below Left) LTJG Nasal goes on safari in the desert (Below). Yes, those are the Golden Arches in the Middle East (Right). The vastness of the Middle East (Above Left). LTJG Sander in Dubai (Above Right). TMSN Ozuna prepares to take the plunge (Below). SN Drake having a good day (Below Left). FC2 Studts on a backpacking expedition (Left). GulfLilxTty 87 Equator Crossing On 18 September 1995 in Longitude 105 52E, MERRILL was paid a visit by the exalted NEP- TUNUS REX and his scribe Davey Jones. Their purpose: to introduce all Pollywogs to the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep ... O (;.SM2 ' I ' orres is truly a trusty Shellback (Above). STGSN Brooks tries out for the role of Court Jester (Above Right). MS3 Gill has the Shellbacks rolling at the Talent Show (Right). ' u ' lm ' v I-,. p.... m FC2 Garber is ready to go (Left). What looks like Hal- oween is actually the Polly- wog Talent Show (Below Left). LT Sander — a Polly- wog no more! (Below) .1 r m Jl B vUi J ny Bfl -j fi f r H ' - ISLAND PARADISE MERRILL returned to the United States with a port call in beautiful Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Right). The weather was perfect as crewmembers enjoyed several days of swimming, snorkeling, or just hanging out in the sunshine. LT Sander explores popular Hanauma Bay (Above). The best view of Waikiki is from the top of Diamondhead (Below).  b — _= ' • 11 Many MERRILL sailors made a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, fifty years after the end of World War Two (Above and Left). Another inci ' edible sun- set over Hawaii (Right). Hawaii 91 TIGER CRUISE Family members and friends were able to see first hand the operation of MERRILL during the Tiger Cruise from Hawaii to San Diego. Many of the Tigers had never been on a ship before, but by the end of the cruise they were all quite salty with fantastic memories to last a lifetime. A proud moment ... LT Eldred ' s brother receives his Junior Enlisted Surface War- fare Specialist certifi- cate from the CO (Top). The awesome splendor of the Battle (iroup during the Sunset Parade of ships (Above). Old (ilory is unfurled dur- ing the air show (Above Left). LT Fon- dren explains the helicopter operations to a group of curious TiL ' crs (Left). Members of the Dale- na family explore Hawaii before MER- RILL sets sail (Left). FC3 Etter and his father Jack pose by the huge Pacific Blue Marlin they caught in Hawaii (Below Left). USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN puts on a spectacular air show for the rest of the Bat- tle Group (Below). LTJG Arnaldo smiles for the camera as MERRILL departs Hawaii for home (Bot- tom). Tiger Cruise 93 HOMECOMING! After six months away from loved ones, MERRILL returned home to San Diego on 09 October 1995. Hun- dreds of friends and famihes were waiting for MER- RILL at Pier Two for the fantastic reunion. Home Sweet Home! l r Cox waves to ; wife (Top). Anticipation builds as the brow is put across (Above). MERRILL sailors line the rails for Homecoming (Above Right). GSM3 D ' Angelo and his family hap- pily reunite after six long months I Right). Homecoming 95 T h e E n d Tliis book is dedicated to all MERRILL sailors and their families ing Seas. Special mention and thanks to all those who contributed photographs for use in MEI RILL ' s WESTPAC 1995 Cruisebook, especially FC3 Etter, FC3 Rucker, STG2(SWi Pothie LTJG Nasal, LTJG Dalena, EN3 Nguyen, HTl Kelly, MS3 Gill, and HT3 Follmer. Without tt generous photographic assistance of these crewmembers and others, this book would not ha been possible. LT Eldred Cruisebook Editor ■III 1 he Knd ! ,H.ihb iisesi - ■ ' - SYRIA Mediterranean Sea Marsa Ma trull Alocandria r.ini.t • S Rcni Slid • i:l Mlnya. Asvui • , • Hinis LEBANON • Damascus « Amman ISRAEL JORDAN ,6 ]A ah Alja vf , A] Wajli EGYPT Aswan Adminisirativc Boundaiy SUDAN I V ' anliu ' al Bahr Jm liild.ih Sea .Mcicy • KeriTui Port Sudan , Al M.iusll Zaoj: • • [rbil • Kirkuk • BakI Al Basrah Iraq-Saudi Araliia NfuirJ Zone I Riyad SAUDI ARABIA THE MIDDLE EAST cocvngM ig«4 Wauranri uiiury PubUeiiiow • A] QunfudJiali Ji jii ETHIOPIA • Sana Al lH(idayd-,ih Adan« YEMEN Gtdfof TURKMENISTAN chardzbcu .Ashkliahad • Tehran • Qoni CsKihan jzd IRAN « llcrat AFGHANISTAN Qandahar Zahedan « • Sliiraz 1 Bushehr .Bajidar Abbas BAHRAIN Pei ' siath lulf Cj ' i.adjri PAKISTAN Sukkur Hyderabad I Karachi Qulfi ifOmc U.A.E. Arabian Sea OMAN • Mult; INDl ' ' x ' Indian Mirbat , ) Ocean Sayhut 1 I ..cotra (Yemen) 1 -.7 ■.:■■ if Wl :lMrl: M. . ■- .- W..