Jesse Brown (FF 1089) - Naval Cruise Book

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ik if Commander 21? 211 13 Michael G. Mathis CQM.M111w1D11NG QFFIQIER

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I, 4 E CARTAGENA 4 26-27 NOV. C555 ROOSEVELT ROADS 53 MARACAIBO o 0 NAVAL STATION Q 29.30 NOV, 0 19-31 JUL. 09-10 DEC. TRANSIT PANAMACANAL LA GUIRA 5 18 NOV- 06-08 DEC. ,G 0 ,o ' O 44440 , I ' 1 ' RODMAN 7 AUG 89 14-18 NOV. ' 39 DEG, COLOMBIA 10 MIN. W . ' oo DEG. 'V' ' Z 2 Aoo MIN. MANTA Q 0 S ' 05-10 NOV. ,E BRAZIL RECIPE CALLAO 09-12 AUC 19-30 OCT. 2 PUERTO ALDEA 'CL 13-15 OCT. 27 1' RIO DE JANIERO 18-29 AUG. VALPARAISO A Ek 07-11 OCT. v 9 PUERTO BELGRANO A TALCAHUANO 06-11 SEP. 25 SEP. - 05 OCT. . AX Qc . po ' USS JESSE L. BROWN FF-1089 S 1 5 ,Q PUNTA ARENAS QC? 20-21 SEP. JUL. 15 - DEC 15 1989

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Commanding Officer's Introduction It all began on the 15th of July when the JESSE L. BROWN said goodbye to family and friends and sailed south to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico to join the other US ships participating in UNITAS XXX. All of the months of preparation, training and clean- ing finally paid off as JLB began the Phase Zero work-up as the most squared away ship in the Task Group. This rigorous first phase gave us an opportunity to conduct drills and live firing exercises with all of the shipls equipment and weapons systems as a final dress rehearsal for operations with the South American navies. On 31 July we were ready for anything and departed Puerto Rico to begin our clockwise circumnavigation of the South American continent. After a brief stop in Recife, Brazil and some intensive operations with the Brazilian Navy, we hit the highlight of the East Coast - Rio de Janeiro. We spent a little over a week in Rio before continuing our exercise schedule. Next up was Puerto Belgrano, Argentina where the constant threat of dragging anchor in the swiftly moving river made our one week stop seem like an eternity. Though liberty was a bit low key, the crew of our host ship ALMIRANTE BROWN did their best to make us feel welcome. On 20 September we entered the Straits of Magellan and, after a brief stop in Punta Arenas, Chile, turned north to begin our journey home. And while we were enjoying unusually fine weather some 6898 nautical miles from Charleston, Hurricane Hugo was pre- paring to wreak havoc at home. The trip up the Inland Waterway of Chile provided some of the most spectacular scenery in the world - 15,000 foot mountains, glaciers, ice bergs and penguins - not to mention some of the most challenging navigation in the World. Our next stop was the port of Talcahuano adjacent to Conception, Chile for some much needed upkeep and maintenance time. Following more operations with the very professional Chilean Navy we enjoyed a visit to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar whose beaches, shopping and restaurants made it the high point of the West Coast transit. Potential terrorist problems curtailed liberty in Peru, Panama and Colombia, however our visit to tiny Manta, Ecuador was a pleasant surprise and provided some of the best shopping of the entire deployment. We transited the historic Panama Canal on the 18th of November and what an experience it was to see this great American engineering marvel first hand. Being raised and lowered 66 feet into Lake Gatun was a once in a lifetime experience. Maricaibo and La Guaira, Venezu- ela were our last South American ports of call before heading home to our favorite port - Charleston. All in all J LB worked with eight different South American navies during our five month UNITAS deployment. Despite its past reputation as being a '4Pina Colada cruise, the tempo of operations, both at sea and in port, and the level of complexity of the exercises were more demanding than any Mediterranean or Western Pacific deployment. And in spite of the lack of material support and upkeep time, we met every commitment, participated in every exercise and never missed a bell. Having done it all with flair and professionalism, we topped off the deployment by passing a surprise outchop Operational Propulsion Plant Examination, better known as OPPE, ensuring that we would have a long uninterrupted Christmas stand down with our loved ones when we finally returned home on December 15th. As you look through this Cruise Book and think back on the deployment, the long hours will not seem so long, the liberty will look better and the good times will be fondly recalled. The friendships forged during the deployment will last a lifetime. You were able to accomplish one of your primary goals in joining the Navy - to see the world. Throughout the deployment your performance was consistently outstanding and JESSE L. BROWN'S reputation for excellence was a direct result of your teamwork and professionalism. You can take great pride in having met the challenge of UNITAS. It has been a privilege to have made this deployment with you. Good luck throughout the rest of your careers and God speed. M. G. MATHIS