Briscoe (DD 977) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commander HONTZ was born in Pottsville, PA on 1 March 1945 and attended primary and secondary school in Watsontown, PA. He graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis where he received his commission and was awarded a B.S. in Naval Science in June 1967. Commander HONTZ ' s initial assignment was as First Lieutenant onboard USS BIGELOW (DD942) homeported in Mayport, FL. Upon completion of this 20 month tour of duty, he received orders to the Naval Support Activity in Danang, Republic of Vietnam. During this one year assignment. Commander HONTZ served as a Boat Group Commander and as Assistant Lighterage Officer, responsible for all river and coastal shipments of logistics material within the I Corps Military Region. Upon completion of the Department Head Course at the Naval Destroyer School in Newport, RI in September 1972, he served as Operations Officer on USS RICHARD E. BYRD (DD23). Con is the Co Nan Opei DO! C( Advi Cent Depi Com oftl In awai Ne« Other sea duty assignments have been Executive Officer of USS MITSCHER from 1974 to 1976 and Chief Staff Officer for Commander, Destroyer Squadron TH IRTY-TWO from 1978 to 1980. Assigned to shore duty after his Vietnam assignment. Commander HONTZ served as the Postgraduate School Placement Officer in the Officer Distribution Division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel from 1970 to 1972. In 1978 he received his M.S. in Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He also served ashore as an instructor at Tactical Training Group, Atlantic and was assigned to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT) from August 1980 to August 1981. Commander HONTZ assumed command of the USS BRISCOE (DD 977) in March 1982. Commander HONTZ is the son of Mr and Mrs Robert M. HONTZ of Watsontown, PA. He is married to the former Jacquelyn G. DOMICH of Hyattsville, MD. They have three children; Edward Jr., Jennifer and Gretchen.

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A SHIELD OF BRILLIANCE as As unique and colorful as its name- sake, the ship ' s coat of arms is a proud reflection of the distinguished naval ca- reer of Admiral Robert P. Briscoe. Standing boldly at the base of the shield is the Lion of St. Mark, which re- fers to the Admiral ' s leadership Commander in Chief of Allied Southern Forces lEurope. The fess and wavy bar, im- mediately above the Lion of St. Mark, suggest flowing water, passing warships and small land areas. This is re- minescent of the Northern Solo- mon Islands w here Admiral Briscoe com- manded the USS DENVER in World War IL It was during this thirty-six hour battle with en- emy naval forces that the Admi- iral ' s skill and courage as a ship ' s Captain were most appar- ent. He fought his ship brilliantly, as- sisting in the sinking of five enemy war- ships, damaging four others and routing the enemy ' s surface forces. DENVER ' S guns had barely fired their last salvo when she was attacked by sixty-seven dive bombers. Under the Admiral ' s firm command, the ship reacted cooly and ef- ficiently, downing seventeen enemy planes and thwarting the raid. In addi- tion, his skill as a Destroyer Task Force and Cruiser Commander during the war prevented enemy reinforcements and supplies from reaching their destina- tion. The shield is completed by four stars, symbolic of Admiral Briscoe ' s leader- ship, achievement and rank. Atop the shield is a crest symbolic of further achieve- ment in a long and successful career. The trident, sym- bol of Triton, rul- er of the seas, re- fers to the U.S. Naval Academy where the Admi- ral served as a student, instruc- tor and Depart- ment Head. The flash represents Prometheus ' gift of science to man- kind and alludes to Admiral Bris- coe as one of the pioneers of mod- ern electronics develo pment in the Navy. The cross refers to the Navy Cross Ad- miral Briscoe re- ceived for his ac- tion in the North Solomon Cam- paign. The crest is completed by the Teaguk which denotes the Admiral ' s Far East Naval Command. The entire coat of arms is aptly summed up by the ship ' s motto EFFI- CIENCY AND VALOR, given to the ship by former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Robert Carney, as a tribute to his close friend. It is this proud tradition which will serve as a standard for USS BRISCOE, its officers and men, to bear throughout its naval service.

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Commander GIFFIN wtis born in Bronxville, NY, on November 16, 1945. He is the son of Mr and Mrs Henry C. GIFFIN. Commander GIFFIN was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1967. He earned a Masters degree in Industrial Personnel Management from the George Washington University in May 1977. Commander GIFFIN has served sea tours aboard USS STICKELL (DD 888) as Communications Officer; USS WARRINGTON (DD 843) as Operations Officer; USS BLANDY (DD 943) as Executive Officer and USS DOMINANT (MSO 431) as Commanding Officer. Commander GIFFIN ' s shore duty assignments have included the Naval Advisory Group, Republic of Vietnam; the Naval Education and Training Center, Newport, RI; The U.S. Naval Academy in the Physical Education Department and Candidate Guidance Office and the Naval Military Personnel Command, Washington, DC as an Assignment Officer. He assumed command of the USS BRISCOE (DD 977) in July 1984. In addition to various service medals, Commander GIFFIN has been awarded the Navy Commendation with two Gold Stars a nd the Vietnam Honor Medal First Class. He is married to the former Steven CRAMLET of New York and has three children; Aaron, Ryan and Paige.