Comfort (T AH 20) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN THOMAS J. FINGER MASTER USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) Captain Thomas Finger graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. in 1978. Following that, he worked on commercial ships until November 1978, when he joined the Navy ' s Military Sealift Command. Captain Finger has served as Ship ' s Master of the following ships since 1983: USNS FURNAM; USNS BARTLETT; USNS VEGA; USNS VINDICATOR; USNS MARSHFIELD; USNS WACAMAW; USNS TRUCKEE; and USNS JOHN LENTHALL. He served as Military Sealift Command Atlantic ' s Port Captain from August 1987 until September 1988. As such, he was responsible for all Deck Officer assignments, served as Technical Advisor to the Commodore and Operations Officer, and adminis- tered special programs. During the same period. Captain Finger coordinated USNS comfort ' s initial trip to Baltimore and saw that adequate facilities were available to support COMFORT on her arrival. Prior to becoming Master of USNS COMFORT, Captain Finger became master of one of the MSC ' s largest and newest class of fleet oilers, USNS JOHN LENTHALL. Captain Finger has taken part in a number of contingency operations including the Iran hostage crisis in 1980-81 and Eastern Mediterranean contingency operations in 1982 and 1989. Among his awards are the 1986 Mariner Award of Excellence, three Smart Ship awards, one Vice Admiral Gano Award and two Sustained Superior Performance Awards.

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CAPTAIN ROGER J. PENTZIEN, M.C., U.S. NAVY COMMANDING OFFICER, MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) Captain Roger J. Pentzien was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Medical Corps, United States Naval Reserve in 1974 upon his graduation from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He later completed three years residing in gener- al psychiatry at NRMC, Oakland. Captain Pent- zien served as Chief, Psychiatry Service, NRMC Bremerton. Subsequently, he received further postgraduate training in neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 1985, he was appointed Head, Alcohol Rehabilitation Depart- ment and Staff Psychiatrist, Naval Hospital New- port. Upon Captain Pentzien ' s arrival in 1987 to National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, he was immediately appointed Head, Outpatient Division, Department of Psychiatry. In 1988, he became Assistant Chairman and Director of Residency Training. In January 1989, Captain Pentzien became Director of Medical Services as well as maintaining his appointment as Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of Health Services, F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine. He continued as Psychiatric Consultant to the U.S. Naval Academy and to the Attending Physician ' s Office, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. On February 5, 1990, Captain Pentzien was appointed as Commanding Officer of the Medical Treatment Facility, USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20), a 1,000 bed hospital ship with a full operating status crew of 1,162. Captain Pentzien is a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is a member of the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association and American Academy of Neurology, and Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. His previous awards include the Humanitarian Service Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Outstanding Service Awards as Chief Resident, nomination as a Falk Fellow to the American Psychi- atric Association and two U.S. Navy Letters of Commendation, In March 1989, he received a Special Service Award from the Washington Psychiatric Society and the American Psychiatric Association. Captain Pentzien is currently collaborating on research examining the risk factors for hepatitis associated with disulfiram therapy — a clinical investigation program study between the National Naval Medical Center and the Johns Hopkins University. His wife Evelyn is a graduate of the Danville School of Nursing. The couple has one daughter and four sons.

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