Aylwin (FF 1081) - Naval Cruise Book

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C0MMJNDMG Commander Gene Uricoli is a native of Orange, New Jersey and a graduate of Essex Catholic High School, the U.S. Naval Academy and Bryant College which is located in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Following his commissioning at the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1972, Commander Uricoli served as the Terrier Missile Officer in USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9). He next reported aboard USS REEVES (CG-24), then homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to serve as the Combat Information Center Officer and later as the Operations Officer. Subsequent sea tours were Weapons Officer in USS CONNOLE (FF-1056) and Executive Officer in USS RICHARD L. PAGE (FFG-5). During his afloat assignments, Commander Uricoli made extended deployments which included operations in the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. He has served ashore as an instructor at the Surface Warfare Officers School Command (Department Head Course) , Operations and Readiness Officer for Destroyer Squadron 10, a student at the Armed Forces Staff college and as a Program and Budget Analyst on the staff of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Surface Warfare. Commander Uricoli has a BS in Analytical Management from the Naval Academy and a MBA from Bryant College. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (two gold stars for third award), the Navy Commendation Medal (gold star for second award), the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Navy Expeditionary Medal. He is a proven subspecialist in financial management. Commander Uricoli is married to the former Eleni Nichols of Annapolis, Maryland. The Uricoli ' s have three daughters; Darcy, Arley and Gina.

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USS AYLWIN WAS CONSTRUCTRED AND ORIGINALLY DESIG- NATED AS A DESTROYER ESCORT (DE-1081) AT THE AVONDALE SHIPYARDS IN WESTWEGO, LOUISIANA BEFORE STEAMING TO BOSTON FOR HER COMMISSIONING ON 18 SEPTEMBER 1971. IN JUNE 1974, AYLWIN DEPARTED HER HOMEPORT OF NOR- FOLK, VIRGINIA ON HER INITIAL DEPLOYMENT TO THE INDIAN OCEAN AND MIDDLE EAST. UPON RETURN SHE WAS AWARDED HER FIRST BATTLE E FOR OVERALL OUTSTANDING PERFOR- MANCE. AFTER A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE ON OCTOBER 1975 AND A TWELVE MONTH OVERHAUL, AYLWIN CHANGED HOMEPORTS TO CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. AYLWIN JOINED THE SIXTH FLEET IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR A DEPLOYMENT THAT TOOK HER TO ISRAEL AND EGYPT RETURNING TO CHARLESTON IN OCTOBER 1978. AYLWIN RETURNED TO THE INDIAN OCEAN, WHERE SHE WAS THE FIRST USN SHIP TO ARRIVE FOR THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS. SHE WAS EXTENDED THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND RETURNED TO CHARLESTON ON 7 JANUARY 1980. ON 8 JUNE 1982, AYLWIN DEPLOYED TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. SHE PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE EVACUATION OF PLO FORCES FROM BEIRUT AND SUPPORTING THE MULTINATIONAL PEACEKEEPING FORCE EFFORTS IN LEBANON. LATE SPRING 1983 FOUND AYLWIN UNDERWAY AGAIN AND HEADED FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC. AFTER VISITING COUN- TRIES IN THE NORTH, THE SHIP SPENT THE REST OF THE YEAR IN THE CARIBBEAN AS THE CARIBBEAN READY SHIP. AT THIS TIME, SHE WAS AWARDED HER SECOND BATTLE E FOR OVER- ALL OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE. ON 2 APRIL 1984, AYLWIN STARTED HER SIXTH MAJOR DE- PLOYMENT, BACK TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE SHIP PAR- TICIPATED IN LOCAL AND SIXTH FLEET CONTINGENCY OPERA- TIONS AND PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD WAR TWO LIBERA- TION OF FRANCE. THE SUMMER OF 1985 WAS SPENT DOING LOCAL SUPPORT OPERATIONS, FOLLOWED BY A THREE MONTH NORTH ATLANTIC- BALTIC CRUISE. ON 10 MARCH 1986, AYLWIN STARTED HER SEVENTH MAJOR DEPLOYMENT, AGAIN TO THE MEDITERRA- NEAN SEA. ON 10 SEPTEMBER 1986, AYLWIN RETURNED TO CHARLESTON AND CONCLUDED AND EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL SIX MONTH DEPLOYMENT. IN OCTOBER 1987, AYLWIN STARTED A NINE MONTH OVER- HAUL CHANGING HOMEPORTS TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. UPON COMPLETION OF THE OVERHAUL IN JUNE 1988, SHE MOVED NORTH TO NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND. SETTLED IN NEWPORT, AYLWIN BEGAN A SERIES OF EXER- CISES AND INTENSIVE TRAINING TO HELP HER PREPARE FOR AN UPCOMING DEPLOYMENT. SHE SPENT EIGHT WEEKS IN GUANTA- NAMO BAY, CUBA GOING THROUGH REFRESHER TRAINING BE- FORE PARTICIPATING IN U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS WITH THE U.S. COAST GUARD IN NOVEMBER 1988. ON 31 MAY 1989, AYLWIN STARTED HER EIGHTH MAJOR DE- PLOYMENT AND PARTICIPATED IN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL OBJEC- TIVES. DURING THIS PERIOD AYLWIN WAS NOMINATED FOR THE NAVY EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL. IN JANUARY 1990 AYLWIN ARRIVED IN BOSTON FOR A FOUR MONTH REPAIR PERIOD. AFTER FIVE WEEKS OF REFRESHER TRAINING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, AYLWIN WAS READY FOR HER NINTH AND FINAL DEPLOYMENT. ON 1 JULY 1991, AYLWIN DEPARTED FOR UNITAS XXXII UNDER THE COMMAND OF USCOMSOLANT CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT. WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH- OUT SOUTH AMERICA, AYLWIN VISITED NINE COUNTRIES, CROSSED THE EQUATOR AND TRANSITED THE STRAIGHTS OF MAGELLAN. AYLWIN RETURNED HOME TO NEWPORT ON 13 DE- CEMBER 1991 AND WILL DECOMMISSION IN MAY 1992.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER I Born in Boston, Massachusetts, 17 July 1955, Lieutenant Commander Jones attended the Uni versity of Pennsylvania, graduating in May 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. He was commissioned an Ensign through the NROTC program upon graduation. His first sea assignment was as Damage Control Assistant in USS MANITOWOC (LST-1180). Upon Graduation from Department Head School, LCDR Jones served in USS JOSEPH HEWES (FF-1078) as Engineer Officer from June 1985 until March 1987. He then reported to USS TAURUS (PHM-3) and served as Executive Officer from April 1987 until March 1989. In May 1989, LCDR Jones reported to the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk as a student in the joint operations curriculum. He graduated in January 1990. After completing the Executive Officer pipeline, he reported to USS AYLWIN (FF-1081) as Executive Officer in April 1990. LCDR Jones ' awards include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (with gold star for second award) and Meritorious Commendation Ribbon (with bronze star). LCDR Jones is married to the former Judy Reid Smith of Charleston, South Caorlina. The Jones ' have two children; Preston and Meredith.