Grasp (ARS 51) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

COMMA NDIXIG OFH ERS COMMANDER JAMES H. GIBSON WAS BORN IN PORT . fig ggAIXfIlOR TH CA ROL INA ON 30 DECEMBER 1 95 1. UPON GRA DUA TION ' I I I ' 'TZ' FROM TI-IE U. S. NA VAL ACADEMY IN JUNE 1975, HE RECEIVED A B.S. Dg. ' T GREE IN OCEAN ENGINEERING. LIEU TENANT COMMANDER GIBSON A TTENDED THE NA VV SCHOOL OF DIVING AND SAL VA GE, WA SHING TON DC, PRIOR TO HIS INITIAL A SSIGN- MENT ABOARD USS CONSER VER TA RS-392 HOMEPOR TED IN PEARL HAR- BOR, HA WAII. FROM MARCH 4976 TO OCTOBER 4978, HE SERVED AS OPERA TIONSfDIVING OFFICER ABOARD USS CONSER VER. LIEU TENAN T COMMANDER GIBSON SERVED AS THE SHIP SAL VAGE OP- ERA TIONS OFFICER AND COMMAND DIVING OFFICER A TMOBILE DIVING AND SAL VA GE UNIT TWO CMDSU2j FROM OCTOBER 4978 TO FEBRUARY 4984. HE REPORTED TO DUTY ON USS PAIUTE CA TF 4591 FOLLOWING A TOUR AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND NA VIGA TOR ON U55 RECOVERY CARS-43j AND C OMMANDED PAIU TE FROM 27 JUL Y 4983 TO 23 AUGUST 4985. FOLLOWING HIS TOUR ON USS PAIUTE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE STAFF OF COMMANDER SERVICE SQUADRON EIGH TAS THE CHIEF STAFF OFFICER. LIEU TENAN T COMMANDER GIBSON ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE USS GRASP CARS-542 ON 43 MARCH 4987. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GIBSON WEARS THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL WITH S TAR, NA VY C OMMENDA TION MEDAL WITH THREE S TARS, NA VY UNIT C OMMENDA IION, U.S. NA V Y AND U. S. COAS T GUARD IVIERI- TORIOUS UNIT C OMMENDA TIONS, BA TTLE EFFICIENCY RIBBON, NA- UPU TENAN 7 COMMA NDEB TIONAL DEFENSE MEDAL, ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARV MEDAL WITH JAMES H' GIBSON ONE STAR, AND THE SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON WITH THREE STARS. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GIBSON IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER KIM I. FRICKE. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER AND MRS. GIBSON AND TWO DAUGHTERS, ELIZABETH AND BROOKE, RESIDE IN BE THESDA, MD. LIEU TENAN T COMMANDER MICHAEL C. HERB WAS BORN ON 45 APRIL 4953 IN PO TTS TO WN, PENNS YL VANIA. HE GRADUA TED FROM THE UNITED S TA TES NA VAL ACADEM YA TANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND IN JUNE I 97 O. AFTER COMMISSIONING, HE A TTENDED SURFACE WARPARE OFFICER SCHOOL POLLOWED B V A TOUR FROM OCTOBER 4986 TO OCTOBER 4979 AS GUNNERV OPPICER AND ASSISTANT FIRST LIEUTENANT ON- BOARD USS FAIRFAX COUNTY 1LST-11989. AFTER DESIGNATION AS SURFACE WARFARE OFFICER, HE WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE SPECIAL OPERA TIONS OFFICER COMMUNITY AND SUBSEOUENTL V A TTENDED THE NA VV SCHOOL OF DIVING AND SAL VA GE IN WASHING TON, DC WHERE HE QUALIFIED AS AN HEO2 DIVING OPPICER. FROM JUNE 4980 TO .IUNE 4982, HE SERVED AS OPERA TIONS OFFICER, NA VIGA TOR, FIRST LIEUTENANT AND DIVING OFFICER ONBOARD USS FL ORIKAN LASR-93. FROM THE FL ORIKAN, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HERB RE- POR TED ABOARD THE USS HOIST IARS-401 WHERE HE SERVED FROM NOVEMBER 4982 TO NO VEMBER 4984 AS EXECUTIVE OPPICER. AFTER DEPARTING HOIS T, HE SERVED AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF MOBILE DIV- ING AND SAL VA GE UNIT TWO AND THEN FROM SEPTEMBER 4985 THROUGH NOVEMBER 1987, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HERB COM- MANDED USS BOLSTER IARS-889 HOMEPOR TED IN LONG BEA CH CALI- FORNIA. HE REPOR TS TO COMMAND USS GRA SP IARS-5 11 AFTER SERV- ING A S CHIEF S TA FF OFFICER OF COMBA T SUPPOR T SQUA DRON EIGHT LIEUTENANT COMMANDER HERB HAS BEEN A WARDED THE MERITORIP OUS SER VICE MEDAL, NA VV COMMENDA TION MEDAL NA VV ACHIE VEMENT MEDAL, BA TTLE EFFICIENCY RIBBON, NA VV EXPEDITION. ARY MEDAL, NA TIONAL DEFENSE SER VICE MEDAL, AND THE SEA 55,8 VICE DEPLOVMENT RIBBON WITH THREE STA RS. ' LIEU TENANT COMMANDER HERB IS MARRIED TO THE POR ELIZABETH GRA V. THEY HA VE TWO CHILDREN, JENNIFER LES .IIOASLT-IU? UEU TENAN T COMMANDER ' MICHAEL C. HERB

Page 8 text:

.Q -1802 Q .. J ga Ili' . ,,z'o in ' Q fv ' .I Aw P xx gk , 4. O s THE FIRST USS GRASP CARS-24j WAS LAUNCHED JULY 31, 1943. IT WAS HOMEPORTED IN PEARL HARBOR. HA WAII. DEC . 24, 1944 GRASP HEADED FOR COMBA T. SHE JOINED A BA TTLE GROUP AND SAILED FOR THE PHI- LIPPINES. GRASP AIDED IN THE SUCCESSFUL LANDING OF GEN. MA CARTHUR'S TROOPS ON JAN. 9, 1945. SHE ALSO AIDED BATTLE DAMAGED SHIPS AND CLEARED HARBORS OF SUNKEN CRAFT. GRASP WAS DEC OMMIS- SIONED DEC. 1945 AND PLACED IN RESERVES. WHEN THE KOREAN WAR BROKE OUT, GRASP WAS RE- COMMISSIONED AND PREPARED FOR C OMBA T. GRA SP WAS INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS PA TROLS OF THE KORE- AN COASTAND WAS OFTEN UNDER FIRE. SHE WAS NEV- ER HIT. GRA SP ALSO OPERA TED IN JAPAN, PERFORMING REPAIR WORK ON DAMA GED SHIPS. GRASP WAS DECOMMISSIONED MARCH 31. 1978. SHE WAS A WARDED TWO BA TTLE STARS FOR WWII, TWO FOR KOREAN WAR SERVICE. AND A VIETNAM CAM- PAIGN RIBBON. THE CURRENT USS GRASP IARS-51j WAS LAUNCHED MA Y 21, 1984 AND COMMISSIONED DEC. 14, 1985. IT IS HOMEPOR TED IN LITTLE CREEK . VA. GRA SP IS THE SEC- OND SHIP OF THE NEW RESCUE AND SAL VAGE CLASS OF VESSELS. THE MISSION OF THE SHIP IS FOURFOLD T 1j DEBEACHING OF S TRANDED VESSELS, C22 HEAVY LIFT FROM OCEAN DEP THS, C31 TO WING OF OTHER VESSELS, AND MQ MANNED DIVING OPERA TIONS. THE GRASP HAS CARRIED OUT ALL OF THESE TASKS. GRASP DEBEACHED AND TOWED THE USS SPRUANCE CDDG-963j IN JAN. 1989. WE SAL VAGED ANAIRFORCE F-15 OFF THE COAS TOF FLORIDA IN APRIL 1988. GRASP HAS BEEN IN VOL VED IN THE TO WING OF TARGET SHIPS. SHE HAS DONE MANY DIVING OPERA TIONS IN THE ATLANTIC, CARRIBEAN, AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEAS. GRASP HAS RECEIVED THE BATTLE E AND TWO SEA SERVICE RIBBONS. O 2' x a. FA 'cp -'I Lab!

Page 10 text:

D- A 5 . EXECUTIVE OFFICER LIEUTENANT COMMANDER GEORGE W, FLECK' WAS BORN ON 77 JUL Y 1957 IN NEW YORK CITY AND RAISED IN SOUTH POR TLAND, MAINE HE GRADUA TED FROM S T. FRANCIS XA VIER UNIVERSITY IN ANTI- GONISH, NOVA SCOTIA IN APRIL 7978. AFTER COMMISSIONING, HE A TTENDED SURFACE WARFARE OFFICER SCHOOL FOLLOWED B Y A TOUR AS REPLENISH-A T-SEA DI VISION OFFICER ONBOARD USS DE TROI Tf A OE -dj. AF TER DESIGNA TION AS A SURFACE WARFARE OFFICER, LCDR FLECK' SERVED AS A NA VAL BEA CH GROUP DETACHMENT OFFICER-IN- CHARGE AND DEPLO YED AS PART OF THE MUL TINA TIONAL PEA CEKEEPING FORCE IN BEI- RU T, LEBANON, IN 7985, HE WAS AC CEP TED INTO THE SPECIAL OPERA TIONS COMMUNITY AND A T- TENDED NA VAL DIVING AND SAL VA GE TRAINING CEN TER IN PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. UPON GRADU- A TION, LCDR FLECK QUALIFIED AS AN HEO2 DIVING OFFICER AND TRANSFERRED TO USS KIT TIWAKE YASR- 731 WHERE HE SERVED AS OPERA TIONS OFFICER, NA VIGA TOR AND DIVING OFFICER FROM 1986- 7988. IN OCTOBER 7988. LCDR FLECK REPORTED TO USS GRASP TARS-5 IQ AS EXECUTIVE OFFI- CER AND NA VIGA TOR, LCDR FLECK HAS BEEN A WARDED THE NA VY COMMENDA TION MEDAL I TWO A WARDSQ, ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL AND RIFLE EXPERT MEDAL. LCDR FLECK IS MARRIED TO THE FORMER MARY BETH MANL Y OF FALMOUTH, MASSACHUSSETTS. THEY HA VE ONE CHILD, CEILIDH. COMMAND MA S TER CHIEF SAL VA GE DI VISION MASTER DI VER L 4 9.3, --1 A.. V M K... 4:-I .Xx IZ- -L5 fx. -uk .. X. Ax P OFFICER ?f2-'51-I