Camden (AOE 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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COMMANDING OFFICER MARCH 1988 - 24 AUGUST 1989 CAPTAIN B. C. NELSON Born in Los Angeles, Captain Nelson was raised worldwide as the son of a career Air Force officer. Prior to entering the Navy, he lived in Japan, Germany, North Africa and through- out the U.S. A graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, he received his commission through the Reserve Offi- cer Candidate (ROC) program. Captain Nelson has served as Commanding Officer, USS CAMDEN (AGE 2). USS MOUNT HOOD (AE 29), and USS TAW ASA (ATF 92). Other sea tours include Executive Officer of USS KISKA (AE 35), two consecutive tours on USS HIGBEE (DD 803), one as Gunnery Officer and Navigator prior to attending Class 22 at Naval Destroyer School, and one as Weapons Officer following the school. His initial sea tour was Communi- cations Officer on USS FIREDRAKE (AE 14). His most re- cent shore tour was Executive Officer, Surface Warfare Offi- cer Schools Command in Newport, Rhode Island. He began that tour as the PCO PXO Instructor for Combat Logistics Forces and Director of the Management Cirricula. During the tour Captain Nelson was the Navy ' s technical advisor and designer of the Marine Safety International Shiphandling Trainer Complex. Captain Nelson has served in a variety of shore tours, including two sequential tours in Naval Military Personnel Command, first as Placement Officer for Combat Logistics Forces and subsequently as the first Special Assistant for Surface Warfare Matters. During this tour he designed and developed the Officer Automated Information System, now used throughout Officer Distri- bution at NMPC. He has also served as Flag Secretary, Commander Training Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Communication Area Mas- ter Station Officer, NAVCOMMSTA Stockton; and Academic Plans Officer, Naval Destroyer School staff. He graduated with distinction from the Command and Staff Course of the Naval War College in Newport, and later, the senior level course at the National War Col- lege in Washington, DC. He has been awarded a Masters of Science Degree in Management. Captain Nelson ' s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star. Navy Commendation Medal with gold star, Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and various campaign medals. He is married to the former Kimberly Allison Von Alt of Syosset, New York. They have two daughters, Michaely and Laura.

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THE CAMDEN INSIGNIA The insignia of the USS CAMDEN (AOE-2) is derived from the city seal of Camden, New Jersey, the city where the ship was built and for which she is named. The Coat of Arms in the center is a facsimile of th e shield of the city seal of Camden, New Jersey. The right half contains a sailing ship, repre- senting the city as a port of entry and its shipbuilding industries. The left half is a replica from the Coat of Arms of Lord Camden, after whom the city was named. Flexibility, Readiness, Endurance: CAMDEN ' s motto embodies the three characteristics the ship and her crew must possess to meet the logistic support challenge the ship is designed to fulfill. The crossed sword and anchor in the background represents her crew, both officers and men. The line border circumscribing CAMDEN ' s em- blem emphasizes the unity required for CAMDEN to function as an ef- fective unit of the fleet. I

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COMMANDING OFFICER 5 JULY 1989 - 24 AUGUST 1989 CAPTAIN A. E. MILLIS Captain Ed Millis was born in Durham, North Carolina, and gradu- ated from the University of North Carolina with an NROTC com- mission and a degree in Political Science. After completing his first tour on board USS SPROSTON (DD 577) and the United States Naval Destroyer School at Newport, Rhode Island in De- cember 1966, he married Miss Mildred Ann (Cookie) Alexander of Kannapolis, North Carolina. Captain and Mrs. Millis have three children; Marc, a SP-4, U.S. Army, Edward, a college student and Jennifer, a junior high school student. Captain Millis has spent sea tours on board destroyers and service force ships serv- ing as Division Officer, Department Head, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer. During shore duty tours, he attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and the University of Virginia in addition to tours at the NROTC Unit, University of Virginia, and the Human Resource Management Detachment in Mayport, Florida. These tours led toward Masters Degrees in Management and Counselor Education. During the Southeast Asian in- volvement. Captain Millis served in-country as Executive Of- ficer of USS SATYR (ARL 23) and later deployed to the Western Pacific as Commanding Officer of USS TOMBIG- BEE (AOG 11). After serving as Executive Officer of USS SAVANNAH (AOR 4), Captain Millis assumed command of USS NITRO (AE 23) and made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea. Following a tour as Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics at Commander Combat Logistics Group ONE in Oakland, California, Captain Millis assumed com- mand of USS SACRAMENTO (AOE 1) in April 1987. He deployed SACRAMENTO to the Western Pacific and Indi- an Ocean from December 1988 to May 1989 in support of Battle Group Delta. Upon detachment from USS SACRA- MENTO (AOE 1) Captain Millis was ordered temporarily as Commanding Officer of USS CAMDEN (AOE 2).