Julius Furer (FFG 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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I would like to dedicate this cruise book to the hardworking professionals that comprise the crew of the First Team Frigate - USS JULIUS A. PURER. The Mediterranean-Indian Ocean Cruise of 1984 can be characterized as the running of a 7V2 month marathon through numerous unknown and unforeseen wickets in a hostile meteorological environment and amidst constantly changing rules, regulations and procedures. The Marines have often said When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That is how JAF sailors have approached this marathon cruise. A successful cruise is not luck but rather months of hard work, thought, and training, preservation and preparation that is designed to peak on one day in early April and remain at a high or higher level until late November of the same year. You, the crew of the JULIUS A. FURER and those who were recently transferred made proper decisions, learned lessons the hard way, managed resources and made many sacrifices to prepare for this deployment. You suffered post overhaul during a week of hell during READEX - 84 when every major system suffered at least one casualty. You stood tall however, looked adversity straight in the eye and licked the problems. The cruise has been highlighted by equipment reliability, a high level of training and readiness, being on time and ready to react to any order or contingency. You are the crew who performed the unheard of feat of challenging state six seas to pluck the Battle Group Commander and four other men who had ditched their malfunctioning LAMPS helicopter from the raging Atlantic Ocean. In the Mediterranean you set high levels of performance and inovation during the NATO exercises OPENGATE and DISTANT HAMMER. Your performance received specific praise from CINCUSNAVEUR, COMSIXTHFLT, CTF SIX ZERO, COMGIBMED, CINCEBLANT and COMSUBGRU SIX. By virtue of your accomplishment you alone were chosen to represent the numerous NATO surface units in the DISTANT HAMMER post exercise hot wash up. Your offering to this high level forum will add a high degree of realism to future major NATO exercises. Your efforts in both USS SARATOGA (CV 60) and USS AMERICA (CV 66) Battle Groups set high standards and high challenges in exercises between ship watch sections. Both carriers trusted your shiphandling and therefore kept you close at hand to assist their many operations. You passed thru the Suez Canal in June 1984 slightly over a year after transiting the Panama Canal. You followed AMERICA into the North Arabian Sea and became part of a deterrent to protect the American interests and insure the unhampered flow of the majority of the Free World ' s oil from the Persian Gulf. The end of August you left the America Battle Group to proceed to the Persian Gulf. You were sent there to ensure the freedom of safe passage thru International water ways. Moreover, you were chosen as the first crew to visit Al Hoceima, Morocco in many years. Your report will bring many ships to this lovely city. You were the first U.S. ship to anchor at Ras Al Hadd, Oman and opened the anchorage as a relief valve for the AMERICA Battle Group. You were personally nominated by COMSIXTHFLT to reopen the politically sensitive port of Athens, Greece. Unfortunately, a high level operational change precluded this. In summary your cruise was notable for professionalism, reliability, superb seamanship, and toughness like no cruise in recent memory. Your eight months of preparation paid great dividends and earned you a reputation that the First Team Frigate can proudly carry the standard for any Battle Group and any Fleet. Your at sea period for 74 days in the Indian Ocean will be a record unbroken when the JULIUS A. FURER is decommissioned. You did it right, you had fun and were ready for any contigency. This seven and a half months in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf has fuzed a team that is unbeatable. Furthermore, this cruise has created a kinship that the rest of the world finds hard to understand. This kinship can be summed up in one word - Shipmate. You have been shipmates that I will never forget and hope that I can serve with you again.