Cushing (DD 985) - Naval Cruise Book

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fe ' be-gvgqqe 3-l.1ra:r-gQNE2:1'-Ev-vii -. iw!-3 ':'.l Q 6 'RSS 'l1,5lE1EF l- -1 ' 57- 453 if X33 253431 C ,M.MANbte G o:FPioER COMMANDER GARY M. HALL COMMANDING OFFICER, USS CUSHING DD-985 Commander Gary M. Hall, son of Robert and Charlotte qKellerl Hall, was born in North Tonawanda, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1972. Following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1972, Commander Hall reported to USS PERRY QDD-844i where he earned the Combat Action Ribbon and Officer of the Deck qualification. Other sea duty assignments have included Executive Officer and Operations Officer USS DIRECT QMSO-430l, Engineer and Operations Officer USS SCHOFIELD QFFG-3l,-Flag Lieutenant Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Three!Commander Task Force 75, and Executive Offi- cer USS CHANDLER QDDG-9963. A Shore assignments have included Cruiser-Destroyer, Pacific Placement Officer at the Naval Military Personnel Command, Financial Management studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and Weapons Pro- curement, Navy Appropriation Manager in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations fSurface Warfarel. Commander Hall's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, two Battle Efficiency Ribbons, and the Humanitarian Service Medal. He is married to the former Elizabeth Jean fBetty Jeanl Zihala of West Orange, New Jersey. The Halls have two children, Cheryl and Robert. 4 : f.::: w sgt12,i..- - -:,,gf,..1-tg.' - ---'3 - 1 ' 4- - 7 ' 'V '- Q g:L:.LfLLLvCts2P?:ZfiL- 1 :-

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iff. S: ffmiffi iw f-rare' fe-1 .rw- ,. , V Commander William B. Cushing USS CUSHING is named after Com- mander William Barker Cushing, aNaval hero of the Civil War. Born in Delafield, Wis., Nov. 4, 1842, he entered the Naval Academy in 1857. He became lieutenant on July 16, 1862, and subsequently at- tained the rank of commander on Jan. 31, 1872. After brilliant service in the blockad- ing fleet off the North Carolina coast, his plans to outfit torpedo boats to destroy the formidable and dangerous Confed- erate ram, Albemarle were approved. On Oct. 27, 1864, Cushing in a torpedo boat manned by 15 volunteers, eluded the enemy lookouts and crept up the Ro- anoke River under defense fire from small arms and succeeded in disabling the Confederate ram Albemarle. For this action, Cushing was promoted and offi- cially thanked by Congress, the only non-flag officer of the war to be so hon- ored. ln the four years he had risen from midshipman to lieutenant commander he was under fire perhaps more than any other officer in the Navy and seemed to have escaped without a scratch. After the Civil War he served in both Pacific and Asiatic squadrons, commanded the Lancaster and Mau- mee, served as ordnance officer, Bos- ton Navy Yard, and from July 11 , 1873 commanded the USS WYOMING until relieved of active duty because of ill- ness. While commanding USS WYO- MING in the Caribbean, he helped to free the passengers of a ship detained by the Spanish government in Cuba. Commander Cushing died on Decem- ber 17, 1874 at the age of thirty two. 3

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ER SQU ' x N CAPTAIN E.J. EL HALLEY, JR. COMMANDER, DESTROYER SQUADRON THIRTY-ONE Captain El Halley, Jr., a native of Westmont, New Jersey, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1967. His first duty was in USS ROBERT H. McCARD QDD 8221 where he served as Main Propulsion Assistant. After complet- ing Naval Destroyer School in September 1969, he was assigned to USS FURSE QDD 8821 as Engineer Officer. Following an assignment as a Naval Advisor in Vietnam, he was ordered under the Personnel Exchange Program to the NBCD School of the Royal New Zealand Navy in Auckland, New Zealand, as the Officer-in-Charge. In June 1975, Captain Halley began studies in the Oceanography Curriculum at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and received a Master of Science in Physics. Upon completion of DCA School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in November of 1977, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS INDEPENDENCE QCV 621 as the Dam- age Control Assistant. ln October 1979, Captain Halley attended the Armed Forces Staff College as a student in the Joint Operation Curric- ulum. He was next assigned as Executive Officer of USS BLANDY QDD 943y from August 1980 until November 1981 when he was ordered as the Chief Staff Officer of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-SIX. Captain Halley was assigned in May 1984 to the Staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in the Combat Systems Directorate as head of the Cruiser-Destroyer Requirements Section. He assumed command of USS DONALD B. BEARY QFF 10851 on 2 July 1986. During his tour, the ship completed a selected restricted availability, interim refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, special operations in the West Atlantic, two fleet exercises, a major deployment to the Mediterranean, and received the Commander, Destroyer Squad- ron TEN Battle Efficiencey Award. Captain Halley was most recently assigned to the staff of the Chief of Naval Opera- tions in the Antisubmarine Warfare DivisionlOP-71las Branch Head for Surface ASW. His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal lwith three gold starsi, the Navy Achievement Med- al lwith combat V l, the Navy Unit Commendation, and various service and campaign medals. Captain Halley is married to the former Sallie L. Stricklin of Florence, South Carolina. They reside in Coronado, California, with their three children: Lauren, Jack, and Jim. 5