Dubuque (LPD 8) - Naval Cruise Book

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Air Department LCDR Karl Kolesnikoff Air Officer Front row: A03 McGaughey, ABHAR Robert Rofkahr ABFAN Virgilio Imson AA Kenneth Lee ASE3 Jose Melendez ABHAA Willie Griffith AN Danko Middle row: CAPT Robert Putz ABHAR Robert Conrad AN William Michael AN Rudolph Posey AOl Abraham Peden A03 John England AA Gilberto Magday ABH2 Winston Washington LT Karl Kolesnikoff Back row: LT James McDonald AOl Bobby Besch ABF3 Franklin Boolen SA John Goodman A03 Timothy Pittman ASM2 Robert Orsulak ABFAN Donny Niebla AA James Klein ABFl Robert Bowers With eight embarked USMC aircraft from HMLA 267, the Air Department operated like a larger helicopter carrier with round-the-clock flight operations at times. Air Department handlers safely launched and recovered aircraft over 5000 times during the deployment. All night operations were conducted with Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) and on a darkened deck: a first for the DU- BUQUE. High tempo aircraft movements, along with fueling and ordinance build-up evolutions, kept the flight deck crew constantly on the go. The fuelers pumped about 15,000 pounds of JP-5 a day to maintain the high op tempo. They were able to do so because of the 95% full mission capable rating maintained on the JP-5 fuel system. When not fueling aircraft the fuelers were often supply- ing MOGAS to MSOs or USMC elements. The hours were long, the weather was hot and humid, the 50 cal. mounts were always rusty and the work seemed like it would never end, but the close-knit Marine and Navy airdales pulled off in- tense operational requirements and overcame obstacles with the pride and pro- fessionalism which is so characteristic of the Air Department. 40

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What could be finer than pizza and ice cream on Bingo Night in the Arabian Gulf? DUBUQUE sailors and MAGTF 3-88 marines worked hard, but also found time to relax and have fun too. The weekly all you can eat pizza and ice cream nights, en- joyed by MSO crews as well, were a major success. Steel Beach picnics, featuring music by our talented band, The Dukes , along with the boxing action of our smokers were nice breaks on quiet Sunday afternoons (unless you volunteered to be one of the box- ers) . USO ' s Frankie Lee Band was a major hit with its brand of humorous folk music. Our talent show uncovered hidden talents in some and was even filmed by Navy News. Some very ded- icated individuals made all this possi- ble. Holiday Routine 42