Pine Island (AV 12) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 108 text:

MAY May saw several important and inter- esting events. Most of the month was occu- pied by another two-Week tender availability at the JASON and preparation for and conducting of our Operational Readiness Inspection CORD. This was to ensure that We were ready in all respects for the forthcoming West Pac deployment. May also saw Captain Cooper depart the ship to become the Commanding Officer of the USS TICONDEROGA QCVA-145, He was relieved l 6 May by Captain Gerald E. Minor. An impressive change of command ceremony and personnel i n s p e c t i o n were held on the hangar deck Wh i l e a lo n g.. side the USS JASON. F amilies and friends Were invited a b o a r d t o Wi tn e s s the event.

Page 107 text:

ul-f APRIL April found the Piney Maru basking in the warm glow of acknowledgement for a job well done. Early in the month we received notice that the PINE ISLAND had received the COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency E award for the fourth con- secutive year, a feat no other seaplane tender has accomplishedg and one that no AIRPAC Ship has come close to doing. We were all proud of the reward for the efforts we had put forth, and hope to win the Gold E next year, In so doing, we will be the first AIRPAC ship to ever win this highly coveted award. VADM Paul D. Stroop, COMNAVAIR- PAC, came aboard and in a special ceremony presented the Battle E plaque to Captain Cooper, who accepted it on behalf of the crew. Everyone was proud to see the third hashmark go up under the E on the bridge. ln addition to the Battle Efficiency E the Operations Department put a second hashmark under their green E, the Communications De- partment added a third hashmark to their green C, and the Weapons Department was awarded the black W. 103

Page 109 text:

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