Gary (FFG 51) - Naval Cruise Book

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Commanding Officer I was impressed by the Bluejackets willingness to give everything that he had at hand to help other people. The American sailor always rises to the occasion

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Command at Sea Only a seaman realizes to what great extent an entire ship reflects the personality and ability of one individual, her Commanding Officer. To a lands- man this is not undestandahle and sometimes it is even difficult for us to compre- hend, hut it is so! A ship at sea is a different world in herself and in consideration of the protracted and distant operations of the fleet units the Navy must place great power, responsibility, and trust in the hands of those leaders chosen for command. In each ship there is one man who. in the hour of emergency or peril at sea can turn to no other man. There is one who alone is ultimately responsible for the safe navigation, engineering performance, accurate gunfire and morale o( his ship. He is the Commanding Officer. He is the ship! This is the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy. There is not an instant during his tour as Commanding Officer that he can escape the grasp of command responsibility. His privelages in view of his obligations are almost ludicrously small: nevertheless Command is the spur which has given the Navy its great leaders. It is a duty which most richly deserves the highest, time-honored title of the seafaring world ...CAPTAIN. JOSEPH CONRAD

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Biographical Data Commander Ratcliff assumed command of USS GARY (FFG-51 ) on 18 August 1990. Commander Ronald E. Rate lit ' ] ' was born and raised in Montana. He is a 1971 Graduate of the University of Montana with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He was commissioned an Ensign, U.S. Navy, upon completion of the Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport Rhode Island in 1972. Commander Ratcliffs fleet assignments include: USS GEORGE K. MACKENZIE (DD-836) Damage Control Assistant Combat Information Center Officer USS WADSWORTH (FFG-9) Commissioning Combat Systems Officer COMMANDER CARRIER GROUP 2 Staff Asst. Surface Operations Officer USS PREBLE ( DDG-46) Executive Officer His notable fleet operations include 3 deployments off the coast of Vietnam 1973-1975. combat operations off the coast of Libya 1985, and Operation Desert Storm. Commander Ratcliffs shore assignments include: French Naval Academy, Brest. France Instructor (Authored an English French Naval terms dictionary) Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey. CA Student (Master of Science degree in Financial Management) NMPC. Washington. D.C. Assistant Surface Commander Detailer Executive Assistant to NMPC-4. Commander Ratcliffs awards include: Meritorious Service Medal (x 2) Navy Commendation Medal (x 2) Navy Achievement Medal Na Unit Commendation (x 2) Navy Battle Efficiency Ribbon Navy Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal (x 2) Vietnam Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon ( 4) Overseas .Assignment Ribbon Southwest Asia Campaign Medal Commander Ratcliff is married to the former Brenda l ' a lor of Jamestow n. R.I. CDR Ratcliff has two sons.