La Salle (AGF 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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, ,ii CGMMANDER MIDDLE EAST FORCE PARADE THE CCDLORS I i i CHANGING , I J s A W A DEPARTING 8 'N 5

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COMMANDER JOI T TASK FORCE IDDLE EAST REAR ADMIRAL ANTHONY A LESS FEBRUARY 1989 MARCH 1989 Rear Adm1ral Anthony A Less was born 1n Salem Ohlo on 31 August 1937 He entered the Naval AVIHIIOH Offrcer Candldate Program upon graduatrng from He1delberg College 1n T1ff1n Oh11o and was com mlssloned an Ens1gn 1n Aprll 1960 He earned h1s Naval Avrator s wmgs 1n June 1961 After attendlng av1at1on mamtenance offlcers school 1n Memphls Tennessee Rear Adm1ral Less was ass1gned to Attack Squadron 86 flymg the A 4 Skyhwk a1rcraft and deployed aboard USS INDEPENDENCE ICVA 621 Hls next asslgnment was to Attack Squadron 44 at NAS Cec1l Fleld Florlda as an A 4 Skyhawk weapon 1nstructor In 1966 Rear Adm1ral Less was chosen as one of the 1n1t1al cadre of 1nstructor pllots 1n Attack Squadron 174 lntroduclng the A 7 Corsalr a1r craft 1nto the Navy Th1s was followed by a combat tour flylng the A 7 w1th Attack Squadron 105 from the decks of USS KITTY HAWK CCVA 631 Shore duty followed 1n 1969 when he was ordered to the Bureau of Naval Personnel where he served as an Av1at1on Asslgnment Offlcer Dur 1ng thls tour he was selected for command of an operat1ona1 as alrcraft squadron He reported as Executlve Offlcer and later took command of Attack Squadron 12, flylng the A 7 Corsarr II Arrcraft In November 1973 Rear Adm1r1al Less reported to NAS Pensa cola Florlda where he became the fhght leader and f1rst commandrng 0fflCCf of the newly commrssroned Navy Fllght Demonstratron Squadron the Blue Angels In February 1976 he commenced tra1n1ng rn each of the alrcraft that compr1sed Carrler A1r Wrng NINE the natlon s most modern A1r Wlng at that t1me He assumed command of the Wrng rn August 1976 In January 1978 he reported to Washrngton D C to serve as the Executrve ASSISIHHI to the Deputy Chlef of Naval Operat1ons for A1r Warfare In November 1979 Rear Adm1ral Less assumed command of the replenlshment o1ler USS WICHTA QAOR 11 1n whlch he com pleted a deployment to the SEVENTH Fleet operatmg 1n the West ern Pac1f1c and Indlan Ocean He reported rn August 1981 as Execu t1ve ASSISIHHI and Sen1or Arde to Commander 1n Ch1ef U S Pac1f1c Fleet 1n Honolulu Hawa11 He assumed command of USS RANGER CCV 611m June 1982 and agaxn completed and extended deployment to the SEVENTH Fleet operatmg 1n the Western Pac1f1c and Indran Ocean Rear Ad m1ral Less was ass1gned as Chlef ofStaff to Commander SEVENTH Fleet August 1983 and was selected to Rear Admrral durlng th1s tour In March 1985 he reported to the Jo1nt Chl6fS of Staff where he served as the Deputy Drrector for Pol1t1co Mllrtary Affalrs 1n the strateglc Plans and Polrcy Dlrectorate unt1l July 1987 Rear Adm1ral Less was selected to Commander Carrler Group ONE and Com mander Battle Ggoup ECH9 mAugiIst 1987 He commanded th1s Battle Group untll December 1987 wlwn hewas chosen as the Com mander Jomt Tjask Force Middle East, assuming command of the Mrddle East Force-4 ff As CUTFMEfCMEF all naval operatrons In the Arabran Gulf and North Aralman Sea are underfus operatfufirial control Durufg hrs career Rear Ad1mra1fLess has logged more than 6 000 hours In tactrcal get alrcraftand more than 9506 rrested carrrer landmgs H6 is authorrzed to wear the following medal and decora tlons Defense Super1orfServ1ce Medal fO,ak leafclfuster 1n lreu of second award1, Legron of Merrt QGold star in lfeufof second award1 A1r Medal wrth fe11XStr1kefF11ght awafrds Nayy Commendatlon Medal w1th Combat XV Navy Un1tCommendat1on Rlbbon Navy Battle Effrclency E 7 Ribbonf find other,c6n'fpa1gn awards Rear Adm1ral Less IS nramefff tothe former Leanne Carol Kuhl of Memphls Tennessee They have four daughters Robyn CMrs Paul Monger1 Pam CMrs Chrls Maxey1 Tracy and Chrlsty M215 7 C6 19 , . 1 . , . . . , . , - , . 9 - ' 9 7 ff 'K f,1 '.sf9Z'?11 f' Lx. R I ' ff x 'af vga' , .' 1 Q t f' ' .Q-Z-nfmffit:QF-fL.sf,.b 5 'f,.-ww fw ' , fin ,aa a-Q29 f, ' 91719 ' I 7 X V' IV 2.-9544, . ' ff ff' . I 'new ., sf 2. ,M ff , iff ff ' 2 Z 'X QQ gap!! so, ,- v , X s 1 xx, e fs - f'Q. ,g, mg A N i , f X v x , f ,- , ' ff, 2 A 4 -ff 971 fx Tk Y 3 '1 1 7 f f - ffff 115, ' -1 ,f , N 4 x -N , 1 f - 1 Q ,Q 1: Q. s gs-wa N ,HM 1 g,, E.: 1: '1 7 5 tm .7 .le 1, Q, fm, N ' f Qffysifvi, z X ff-4 I - .EV ,Lava zz, 551, J, . I - . ' fx 54 f. - f - xv f Q y, 1 fx ,ff .XX 'ffgf ff ' f ' - if? WR f 'ii- ?tL1iJ,72T1Ilflfl fff32?5If -'-755 riff' xp, xg re, av z lfff X 5 2 4' , 4 .. 2 . 4 u Xt-ex ,off WM' . . A ,g,1Lf7, ,.-1-mf? 1 - . , 1 ,mg45?.Q ii ' X gent-ff f f 1 . ' X2 :fda .5 ,,,. X , ,A .... . .V f ' 'X X -rx 2, Nt, ,,V, , I - u a - a V ' W , 1 f l 1 f I I M ' 1 W . ,YZ pta . . . . . .. , - fkfffwf tw 7 ,, . . . . . - - , - bww , ,, 9 5 . a ' ' 4 1 Q - ' 7 7 7

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.x. '15 CHANGE O B gl OVER I Lt F CQMMAND :Cx ARRIVING ATTENTION 13 S A22 Photos By PH2 Desmond 9