La Salle (AGF 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE VERSATILE USS LA SALLE On 22 February 1964, USS La Salle was commissioned in the U.S. Navy as an Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD). She, joined her sister ships, USS Raleigh and USS Vancouver, as the newest class of amphibious ships in the Navy. Mobility, flexibility and versatility were the trademarks of these ships. Each could transport over 800 combat-ready Marines, along with their equipment, vehicles, ammunition, fuel and cargo, at high speeds to the site of an amphibious operation. A variety of boats, cranes, elevators and conveyors, plus the ability to embark helicopters, could be utilized to enable these operations to be conducted quickly and efTiciently. Taking this capability to the fleet. La Salle ' s operating schedule has been far from routine. She has demonstrated her flexibility in numerous, varied operations. In 1965, she served as the flagship for Atlantic Fleet amphibious forces during the Dominican Crisis. That same year she participated in the evacuation of Construction Battalion SIX from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the Cuban Missile T risis. In 1966, La Salle became the first ship of her size to successfully recover and return a Project GEMINI space capsule to Cape Canaveral. During 1969, La Salle served as the test platform for the prototype AV-8 HARRIER VTOL (Vertical Tako-Off and Landing) fighter-bomber. In 1972, after an extensive overhaul. La Salle was designated as a Miscellaneous Command Ship (AGF) and assumed duties as the flagship for Commander, Middle East Force. Painted white to reflect the hot Middle East sun, The Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast has steamed an average of 55,000 nautical miles annually, in that role, calling on ports in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. La Salle assisted in the evacuation of 260 American and foreign civilians from the Iranian seaport of Bandar Abbas in 1979. She became the focal point of U.S. activity in the Arabian Gulf at the outset of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The combination of this crisis and the initiation of the Iran — Iraq War, which began in 1980, brought about a dramatic increase in the command and support responsibilities placed on the ship and her crew. USS Coronado relieved La Salle in November 1980, and the Great White Ghost returned stateside for the first time in eight and one half years. On arrival, she began a major overhaul which included increasing her air conditioning capacity, replacing and upgrading the ship ' s four turbine generators, adding an extensive electronics and communications package, and replacing two 3 50 caliber guns with the MK15 Close-In Weapons System (CIWS). USS La Salle returned to the Arabian Gulf and resumed flagship duties for COMIDEASTFOR in June 1983. Since then, she has continued to provide the embarked staff with reliable command and control facilities, all the while providing ongoing and varied support to the other Middle East Force ships operating in the area. In 1984, La Salle embarked three CH-53 helicopters and associated equipment from Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron 14 to conduct minesweep operations in the Red Sea in response to anonymous attempts to disrupt the free passage of shipping there. In the beginning of 1986, La Salle was dispatched to conduct contingency operations off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden during that country ' s civil war. With the onset of the Gulf Tanker War, La Salle has continued to serve as the command platform for Commander, Middle East Force to coordinate force operations in the Gulf. La Salle played a vital role, in March 1987, as both a fiagship and a logistics support ship during Northern Arabian Gulf contingency operations while the Arab League convened in Kuwait. By providing needed fuel and supplies. La Salle ensured the other ships of Middle East Force were able to remain on station for an extended period during this operation.

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CONTENTS The Versatile USS La Salle Page 2 The Tradition of USS La Salle Page 4 Commanding Officers Page 6 Change of Command Page 8 Executive Officer Page 10 Ship ' s Company Page 12 Middle East Force Page 70 Ports of Call Page 80 CREDITS Cruisebook Officer LT McDonald Editors JOl Rutts, PH2 Shcphard Cruisebook Photographer PH2Shpphard Contributing Photogi-aphers JOl Butts, JOl Froehlich, HMl Budd, CTAl McCandlish, PH2 Watts, 082 Masters LI2 Hen by

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In May 1987, La Salle rushed to the aid of the stricken U. S. frigate Stark, which was adrift and still burning following an Iraqi missile attack. Initially, La Salle provided crucial fire-fighting, damage control and medical aid. Over the next days, the ship and her crew became home and family for the surviving Stark sailors. Until the arrival of the U. S. tender Acadia in June 1987, La Salle saw to the initial repair requirements of Stark, provided room and board to her crew, and served as a central base for all damage assessment, investigation and public relations functions associated with the tragic event. Mobility, flexibility, and versatility are as much the trademarks of La Salle today as they were 23 years ago. La Salle ' s Mission As a forward deployed unit, with its overseas homeport in Manama, Bahrain, La Salle ' s primary mission is to provide flagship facilities and support for Commander, Middle East Force (COMIDEASTFOR) and his embarked staff. La Salle is also tasked to support the mission of COMIDEASTFOR by fostering goodwill and understanding between the United States and Middle Eastern and Western Indian Ocean countries through port visits, joint naval training exercises and operations. Additionally, La Salle provides logistic, medical and other support within her capability to other U. S. Naval units assigned to Middle East Force. The Middle Eastern and Western Indian Ocean countries continue to increase in importance as areas of considerable global interest both economically and politically. COMIDEASTFOR and La Salle play a significant role in the advancement of U.S. and allied interests in this part of the world and receive the attention of the highest government officials.