Gearing (DD 710) - Naval Cruise Book

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EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lieutenant Commander Ronald P. Zwart, USN, became our Executive Officer in -September, 1967, bringing with him a wide range of experience in nearly ten years of active service in the U.S. Navy. LCDR Zwart received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Dartmouth College where he was a member of the Navy ROTC program. Further education following his commissioning as Ensign, USN, in 1958, included the Defense Intelligence Course in Washington, D.C., and study in the Arabic language at the Defense Language Institute, also in Washington. The latter prepared him specifically for a two-year assignment as Assistant Naval Attache at. the United States Em- bassy in Cairo, United Arab Republic immediately prior to reporting aboard GEARING. At sea, LCDR Zwart has served aboard USS FAL- GOUT CDER-3243, homeported in Pearl Harbor, where he was successively Communications Officer, Com- bat lnformation Center CCICQ Officer, and ,Operations Officer, and aboard USS SOLEY CDD-707j homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, as Operations Officer. LCDR Zwart holds the National Defence Service medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, and joint Services Commendation medal. In addition to his duties as Executive Officer, he also acts as the Ship's Navigator aboard GEARING. Originally calling Darien, Connecticut his home, LCDR Zwart now lives in Newport with his wife, Renate, and their two daughters. . AS Executive Officer, much of LCDR Zwart'S time is SPC? Slffmfi through stacks of correspondence, instructions, notices and 1fCCf1VC that are so Vital a part of any naval command. LCDR RONALD P. ZWART, USN

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CDR ALFRED C. LEIS, USN .Many long hours are spent bv the Captain on the bricl e Lee 1 track ofthe fast-changing tactical situation and ensuring Eh' Pfflg ofthe ship for which he, and he alone, is ultimatelv resgonsliljlii Cty corv1rv1AND1No OFFICER . Commander Alfred C. Leis, USN, has been our Commanding Officer since july 1, 1967. Formerly an enlisted quartermaster, Commander Leis was commissioned in january, 1951, and has served a total of 22 years in the United States Navy. His background is varied, having taken part in search and rescue operations during Z7 months aboard patrol craft in the Pacific during the Korean conflict, and having served as First Lieutenant, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer on the USS NEWPORT NEWS CCA-148j, USS BRISTOL CDD-8575, and USS VESOLE CDDR- 8785 respectively. In addition, Commander Leis has been assigned posts as Aide and Flag Secretary to Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Six, and Operations Plans Officer on the staff of Commander, Cruiser- Destroyer Flotilla Ten. Ashore, his assignments have included positions with the Military Sea Transport Service, Atlantic, and the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Commander Leis attended the Command and Staff Course at the Naval War Col- lege in Newport, Rhode Island, and has also served there on the staff in the War Games De- partment. He came to GEARING from the position of Executive Officer of USS YOSEMITE CAD-19l, flagship for Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Civilian training has also served to prepare Commander Leis for his positions of respons- ibility in the Navy. He holds degrees in Market- ing and Management, and in International RC- lations from New York University and George Washington University. Mrs. Leis is the former Barbara Blau, from 'the home town of Commander Leis, New York City- They now reside with their three children ID Newport.

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ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT The Engineering Department is made up of several divisions, each descriptive of the type of work its members do. All the 'divisions include Firemen QFN'sj, the equivalent of Searnen in the other departments, who later become designated specialists in one area. E i . u Some become Boilermen QBT'sj, and belong to ' ' B d1V1S1OI1- Their work is in the hot firerooms, tending the fires, watching water levels and steam pressures, and providing the initial power without which nothing else on the ship would work. Others become Machinists Mates fMM'sj, in M Division. They take the steam produced by the BT's and convert it to propulsion power in the two enginerooms. MM's look after tur- bines, reduction gears, propellers, and similar equipment. The rest of the engineers tor Snipes, as they are known to the Outside world? belong to UR or Repair Division, later divided into R and A QAuxiliaryj divisions. These include the Damage controlmen QDC'sj, who learn to patch holes, fight fires, and generally control damage, Electrician Mates QEM'sj who provide electrical power using some more of the BT's steamg Internal Communications Technicians IC' C SP who work on sound-powered telephones, intercom and general announcing systems, computer and indicator connecting cables, the ship's gyro, and sometimes the Ship's Entert ' ainment Sys- tem, and Shipfitters, specializing in pipe fSFP'S, and Sheet metal 'fSFM'sj manufacture and repa.ir. .All-in-all, the engineers often find themselves working out of sight and even out of the minds of the rest of the crew. When seen, 'they are usually covered with fuel oil during replenish- ment at sea, or? with soot as they crawl out a boiler or Stack They blow tubes all over everything and everybody' or dro the eleCU1Cal load during a crucial communications eicercisep.Binr they can do wonders fixing a 23 year Old plant with sealing Zcgggglnd' Chswmg gum, balmg Wife, and a few well-chosen ' LT EDWARD A. MONACO Engineering Officer l ll LT HOWARD V. WEST ENS ROBERT J. SCHWEQIZEN, Main Propulsion Assistant Damage CUHUOI Assls +1 ,,...... 5