Firedrake (AE 14) - Naval Cruise Book

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As a result, our leadership has undoubtedly reflected some variation in emphasis and style aimed at the basic objectives of Operational Training and Material Readiness along with economy and smartness. This is as it should be, for if command leadership were to be stereotyped, it could not accommodate the varied demands th t a time, place, and circumstance impose. eteran of twenty five e N With these principles in mind, I assumed command of FIREDRAKE during its first major overhaul in three years and under the shadow of a long report by the Board of Inspection and Survey which enumer- ated many unsatisfactory and dangerous material conditions.

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Even with all out efforts of the ship's force and the Pacific Ship Re- pair Corp., the list of things to be done - far exceeded the resources needed to accomplish them. Since shipyard plan- ,ning had emphasized repair of equip- ment, little had been done to make the ship more habitable, With the cooperation of all hands a habitability plan was devised and a dedicated Habitability Team was formed, As a result, every living and food prep- aration space has been repainted, tiled, and otherwise remodeled while a Crew's Library and a First Class Mess have been established. All living spaces were air-conditioned, the laundry re-equipped, mattresses and-pillows replaced and a program of unlimited access to clean bedding instituted, With this start and continuous attention to upkeep, the living conditions aboard FIREDRAKE are the best achieved during the ship's life, Our ship, however, does not exist only to be comfortable and in a fine material condition. The ship and crew must com- bine and merge into a single entity, capable of performing its mission. Because of the extended period which FIREDRAKE spent in overhaul and the large turnover of per- sonnel since the ship returned from WE STPAC, much training was needed, During overhaul, individual training aboard and at Navy schools was stressed, but a com- prehensive refresher training period for all hands was essential, Our schedule pro- vided for a week's training readiness evaluation and two weeks of extensive refresher training. The readiness evaluation showed that all hands on FIREDRAKE had prepared themselves well on refresher training. The training itself was just what we needed! Gur early exercises and battle problems were slow and devoted to training. By the end of two weeks, however, FIREDRAKE was a team capable of all its missions which it proved by passing its final battle problem with an excellent mark. Within a few weeks after refresher training, we deployed to WE STPAC ready and anxious to do' our job. I sensed a spirit of willingness to contribute to and pride in the ship which our team experiences and effort had built, From that time on, the task of commanding this ship has become easy and the pleasure of being a part of FIREDRAKE has grown. On the line in Vietnam, FIREDRAKE picked up the tempo in a few days and began to deliver ammunition quickly and safely. Over the years of its commissioning, FIREDRAKE has seen many groups of men develop into fighting crews. None were ever better than this crew! I a 1 f ' Pb AY