Cushing (DD 985) - Naval Cruise Book

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heads east for UNITAS J03 Gary Ford photo ' JSS Cashing DD 985) steams down the Pearl Harbor Ct annel on tier way to ttie Atlantic Ocean to take part in UNITAS 1 992. UNITAS (wtilc ti is ttie Latin word for unity ) combines U.S. and Soutti American forces for naval exercises in the South Atlantic. often in the South Atlantic ex- cept during Unitas. This is our opportunity to work with those navies and conduct mutual training for the benefit of all of us, said Capello. Everything I ' ve seen in Gushing indicates this ship is ready to deploy and to conduct operations as good or better than any ship in the Pacific fleet. I look forward to the opportunity to push that expertise just a little further and to build on the foundation we already have. Other countries participating in this exercise are Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Ec- uador, Peru, Columbia and Venezuela. Each one of these countries will host a phase of Unitas. Gushing will be the flagship with Rear Adm. T.C. Lockhart, U.S. Commander, South Atlan- tic, embarked. In addition to their operational vy Ne ws exercises, Gushing ' a crew will participate in several commu- nity projects. They will provide support for Operation Hand- clasp, participate in sporting events, visit schools, orphanages and participate in social events with the host nations. One significant event will b( their participation in the SOt? anniversary of Brazil ' s involve ment in World War II. Vemor Walters, former Navy attache to Brazil during World War II will embark Gushing in Recife Brazil and ride the ship into Ric de Janeiro. USS Gushing is normally flagship for Commander, De- stroyer Squadron 31, however they were chosen for this mission by Chief of Naval Operations Staff. Award Winner Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

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USS GUSHING (DD 985) is the twenty-third SPRUANCE Class Destroyer to be designed and built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries. The ship was commissioned on October 20, 1979 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Homeported in San Deigo for her first twelve years of serice. Gushing changed homeports to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on August 1, 1991. She is named after Gom- mandcr William Baiker Gushing, a naval hero of the Givil War, and is the fifth U.S. naval vessel to bear the name. The SPRUANGE Glass Destroyer is unique among U. S. Warships in that it is the first major class to be powered solely by gas turbine engines. GUSHING and other ships of this class are driven by four General Electric LM-2500 gas tur- bines turning twin controllable-reversible pitch propellers. Designed originally for use on large aircraft, these engines have been modiHed for marine use and produce 20,000 horsepower each. They are capable of moving the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots, and provide a degree of maneuverability and flexibility un- equaled by any other warship of similiar size. As a highly versatile multi-mission destroyer, GUSHING is capable of oper- ating independently or in company with amphibious or carrier task forces. Al- though equipped to handle a wide variety of tasks, GUSHING ' s primary mission is that of Anti-Submarine Warfare. GUSHING uses the most advanced ASW equipment in existence to accomplish this complex and demanding task. In her twelve years of service USS GUSHING has been awarded three BAT- TLE EFFIGIENGY E AWARDS, The Humanitarian Service Medal, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, and five Sea Service E eployment Ribbons. Gushing by J03 Gary Ford CojnNa¥Ba8e EAQ The usual Navy catch phrase is Haze gray and underway, but this is not the case for Cmdr. Leonard W. Capello, new com- manding officer, USS Gushing (DD 985); for him, it was change of command and underway. The ship left last week on a major deployment, four days after Capello assumed com- mand. Gushing is steaming to South America via San Diego to par- ticipate in an exercise called Unitas (Latin word for unity). Unitas is an annual event de- signed to increase the interoperability between South American navies and the U.S. Navy. The exercise consists of nine phases, beginning with phase zero, which the United States will host and will be held near Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. During phase zero, South American navies are invited to send their ships up to exercise on our underwater tracking range, conduct torpedo ASROC firing, anti-submarine warfare, surface to air missile, gunnery and shi p maneuvering exercises just to familiarize ourselves with each other, said Capello. What makes this deployment different from previous ones for Gushing is that this is the first time the ship has gone into South American waters, and the first time the ship has gone south of the equator since 1985. The Navy doesn ' t exercise Ha wau Na Aloha! Volume 17, Issue 23, June 18, 1992 1991 CHINFO Mei

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