Seattle (AOE 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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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's . 5. ll it v-4 Wm.... .,,,, ,,.,. I ,r U- l -ny ij .. .,, COMMAND MASTER CHIEE USS SEATTLE MOE - 32 GMCM QSWD Donald R. Bullard Master Chief Donald R. Bullard was born March 20, 1954 and grew up in Delco, North Carolina. He graduated from Acme Delco High School in May 1972 and enlisted in the United States Navy on May 24, 1972. After Recruit Training in Orlando, Florida. He reported aboard USS WILLIAM C. LAWE CDD-7635 on October 30, 1972. After transferring from the LAWE and a short stay at TPU Great Lakes, Illinios, he then reported to USS BOULDER CLST-1 1901 and was promoted to Gunners Mate Technician Third Class. In June, 1976 GMCM CSWD Bullard transferred to USS RICHARD E. KRAUS CDD-8491. Upon decommissioning of thC KRAUS in July 1976, he continued his sea duty onboard USS BLAKELY CPP-10721. After a Mediterranean Deployment and advancement t0 Second Class Petty Officer, Master Chief Bullard transferred to SIMA Norfolk for his first shore assignment. In November 1979 Master Cl1iCfWH5 an instructor at Gunneris Mate class NAv and 'ICH school on the MK 16 Asroc Launcher, and was subsequently promoted to First Class Petty OffiCCf- Upon completion ofhis instructor assignment in Great Lakes, Master Chief Bullard returned to sea onboard USS MCCANDLESS in October 1980. While sewing as Leading Petty Officer of 'ASD division he obtained his Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists qualifications and was advanced t0 the rank of Gunneris Mate Technician Chief Petty Officer on September 16, 1984. In June 1985 Master Chief Bullard reported to NAVSURFLANT Readiness Support Group Mayport. Following his duties there as a member of the Nuclear Weapons Assist Team QNWATD, he was assigned to USS TRIPPE CPF-10755 ffom I3UU21ry 1989 to April 1990. Attaining the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer he then reported to Surface Warfare OfficerS school in Newport, Rhode Island where he served as a Combat Systems Instructor. In 1994 he was promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer and served as SWOS Command Master Chief for his last six months onboard. In December 1995, GMCM CSVVD Bullard became the Eleventh Command Master Chief of USS SEATTLE CAOE - 31. Master Chief Bullard is married to the former Patricia Marr of Lincoln, Rhode Island. They have three sons, Chris, Kevin, Andrew and OHS daughter Brandie. 4 USS SEATTLE