Seattle (AOE 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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, 3. 06 f . ' U 4 T be N l C OMMANDJNG OFFICER, USS SEATTLE MOE - 39 Captain Steven E Eirks, U. S. Na Captain Eirks was born in Crawsfordville, 1n. and raised in Orlando, P1 and St. Louis, Nlo. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1974- In December 1974, he began flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1976. Captain Pirks reported to VA-122 for fleet readiness training in the A-7E 11 aCorsair . ln Eebruary 1977, he reported aboard VA-146, OH USS CONSTELLATION CCV 645. He then served as Training Landing Signal Officer CLSOD forVT-7 in Meridian, Ms. ln january 1982 he was assigned to Commander, Carrier Air Wiiig Two as Staff LSO on USS RANGER CCV 613 and on USS KITTY HAWK CCV 635. Captain Eirlcs attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, Ca in 1984 where he earned a Master of Science degree in Aeronall' . . . . . . . . . - TSS tical Engineering. He then was assigned in August 1986 to VA-97 where he served as Administrative, Maintenance and Operations Othcer OD L CARL VTNSON CCV 703. Following a one year tour with VPA-127 in Eallon, Nv as an Adversary Pilot flying the ESE and A4E. he transitioned to rhe FA-13 MHOYUCE and in December 1990 reported aboard VEA-195 in Atsugi, japan as Executive Ofhcer and subsequently as Commanding Officer. Captain Pirlis H511 thirty-two missions in support of Operation Desert Storm from USS MIDWAY CCV 413. 1 A ri After completion of Nuclear Power training, he reported aboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVEIII' LCV 711 as Executive Officer from P 1995 to August 1996. He assumed command of USS SEATTLE in November 1996. Captain Pirlcs is married to the former Susan Taylor of Plorrisant, Mo. They have 1 daughter, Catherine and two sons. .iff-VYCF' L1mlTimOfhl' 2 Uss SEATTLE 3 ji - 1 1

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i USS Seattle CAOE - 35 AOE 3 USS SEATTLE QAOE 33 is a last combat support ship designed to supply fuel oil, aircraft fuel, ordnance, frozen and fresh food and fleet freight at a rapid rate of transfer using conventional connected replenishment rigs and CH-46 helicopters for vertical replenishment. She was constructed at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. Her keel was laid October 1, 1965. On March 2, 1968 she was christened and launched. Her commissioning took place on April 5, 1969. Shortly afterward she sailed via the Panama Canal to her homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. On July 13, 1990 SEATTLE changed homeport to Earle Naval Weapons Station, Leonardo, New jersey. To date, SEATTLE has deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Indian Ocean a total of 18 times and has been involved in numerous Atlantic Fleet Operations. Length ................................................ ........... .... ...... 7 9 5 feet 7 112 inches Beam iwidth at middle of shipl ...... ..........,........ 1 07 feet Draft Qshipis keel to waterlineb ........ ........... 5 8 feet Displacement ................... ................ 58,000 tons Speed .................. ........................... 3 0+ knots Helicopters ......... ....... C 25 Ch-46 Sea Knights Complement .................... ....... 3 4 Officers, 600 Enlisted Liquid Cargo Capacity ......... ............. 9 .6 million gallons Ordinance Capacity ......... ............... 1 5 thousand tons Provisions Capacity ....... ................................... 6 75 tons Fresh Water Output ......... ...... 8 0 thousand gallons per day , . ,2- if x PM .iq g gi if

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, X flpuv- t ,, Y W i 1 ,aww if EXECUTIVE PHCER, USS SEATTLE MOE - 3 Lieutenant Commander Eduardo Esteban Wfheeler Lieutenant Commander 9C hee1er was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and raised in Caracas, Venezuelag Santo Domingo, Dominican Republicg Huntington, New Yorkg Barcelona, Spain and Wakefield, Massachusetts. linlisting in the Navy in 1977, he went to Basic Training in Orlando. Floridas Machinist Niate HAS school in Great 1.a14es, 111inois and Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida. While at Nuclear Power School in Orlando, he was selected to attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode 1s1and followed by the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland: graduating with a Bachelor ofiScience degree in 1Xf1ay 1983. After completion ofiSurf.ace vcitfiltfe Officer Basic School in San Diego, Californiag he reported to Pre-Commissioning Unit Vandergrift from October 1985 to November 1984. 1-ie then served aboard USS VAND15,RC1R115'1' CPFC-481, homeported in Long Beach California as Ordnance Officer and Communications Officer from November 1984 to -1u1y 198'. From 1anuary to V1u1y 1987, he made an around-the-world deployment with the KITTY HAWK Battle Croup. Prom September 1987 to ,1anuary 1990, he served as an Officer Recruiter at the Navy Recruiting District in Atlanta, Georgia: earning distinc- tion as uRecruiter ofthe Yearn in 1989. His next two tours were as Operations Officer on the USS SAMUFI. COM1'1iRS CAD-381 from August 1990 to March 1991. and as First Lieutenant on USS MOUNT HOOD CAE-291 from May 1992 to October 1995. Both ships were homeported in the San Francisco Bay area, and each made a deployment ro the Arabian Ciulfiin support of'Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Desert Storm-Southern XY'atch, respectively. from November 1993 to September 1996, lieutenant Commander Wheeler served as an instructor ofiSeamanship and Navigation at the 11. 8. 3 t r -, . . . . , . - . , N - x . . . . Naval Academy. 1-1e was also the Off1cer-in-1actlcal-C,ommand of a squadron of six Yard 1 atrol Lraft and made five Midshipmen summer training cruises to several ports along the eastern seaboard including Halifax, Nova Scotia. 1n February 1997, lieutenant Clommander W'1tee1er assumed duties as fixecutive Officer of1,1SS ShA'1 111,b QAOEVS1, homeported in Leonardo. New Jersey. lieutenant C1lJ111111J111t1t,'l'XXf,11tf1j1f'1'18111L11x1'1L'll to the former Diann 11o1ton of-Atlanta, Georgia. ,K shpx ttss sta,-t'i'Tiet 3