Bon Homme Richard (LHD 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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I ,-f. g Z ti ii il!ILlG'ili mm, Captain Michelle Howard graduated from '- Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado in l978. She attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in I982. Her initial shipboard assignments include USS HUNLEY IIAS 3Il and USS LEXINGTON IAVT I6l. While serving onboard the LEXING- TON, she received the Secretary of the Naxy!Navy League Captain WINIFRED COLLINS award in May I987. This award is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. From I987 to I990, she was as an instructor and later course coordinator at the STEAM Engineering Officer of the Watch IEOOWI course in Coronado, California. Captain Howard was a Distinguished Graduate from Department Head School in I990. to USS MOUNT FLINT IAE I993, she rotated to the Bureau of Personnel, as the Navy's liaison to the Defense Advisory Committee l 1 Military Services. 4 V action officer for the 0 ,,. Naxy policy. In Ianuary I996, I Executive Officer of USS TORTUGA She was the first woman in the Navy to be lb l ll lfl to the Adriatic Sea in support of Operation IOINT i ENDEAVOR, a peacekeeping effort in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Sixgl days after returning from the Mediterranean deployment, TORTUGA departed on a West African Training Cruise, where the ship's Sailors, with embarked Marines and US Coast Guard detachment, operated with the naval services of seven African nations. Captain Howard graduated from the Army's Command and General Staff College in lune I998. She completed a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences with a focus in History. When she assumed command of USS RUSHMORE ILSD 47l on I2 March I999, Captain Howard became the first African American woman to command a ship in the US Naxgf. RUSHMORE is the Naxys onhf Amphibious Smart Ship . The Smart Ship concept integrates and evaluates commercial off the shelf technologies for future fleet application. In December I999. RUSHMORE became the first Smart Ship to complete a six-month deployment. In November 2000, she was assigned to I-3, Global Operations, Readiness on the loint Staff in the Pentagon. In February 2003, she became the Executive Assistant to the loint Staff Director of Operations. Captain Howard assumed duties as Commander, Amphibious Squadron SEVEN in May 2004.

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1997 to May 1998. and LtGen BB. Knutson, Jr. from May 1998 to September 1998. After his tour as the aide-de- camp, Maj. Kennedy was moved to the Force Fires Branch of the 1 MEF G-3 where he later became the Force Fires Coordinator. LtCol Kennedy was promoted to LtCol on 1 October 1998. After reporting to MAG-11 in October of 1999, LtCol Kennedy served as the Assistant Operations Officer from May of 2000 to November of 2002, he served as MAG-11 Executive Officer. LtCo1 Kennedy took command of Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 on 13 December 2002 and only six weeks later deployed as the lead MAG-11 squadron to the CENTCOM AOR to support Operations SOUTHERN WA IRAQI FREEDOM. Following OIF Col Assistant Chief of Staff G-5 for Wing and has just Anbar over as an NFO over 2000 as a Naval His personal decorations include the Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal the Sea Service Deployment Meritorious Service .J XT!-3 xy ., -L . 5'-18 X' Am 1? 1' .ax Cixi--.

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