La Salle (AGF 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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During the ensuing months LA SALLE served as a command platform for the re-flagged Kuwaiti tanker es- cort operations. Iran resorted to plant- ing mines to counter the escort opera- tions. During the first escort operation, the tanker BRIDGETON struck a mine, and the United States resolved to stop these Iranian tactics. In September 1987, U.S. forces caught the Iranians red-handed. The Iranian minelaying ship Iran Ajr or Rakeesh, was in the middle of laying mines so U.S. forces permanently de- commissioned the ship. LA SALLE sent as prize crew to occupy the ship, and the captured Iranians were brought aboard AGF-3. The detainees, as they became known, spent two days in LA SALLE's upper vehicle stowage before being transferred to the Red Crescent. The Iranian ship was the first ship since World War II to be comman- deered by American Forces. In the fol- lowing months many escort operations were successfully completed and LA SALLE continued to play a vital role as MIDEASTFOR flagship. Mobility flexibility and versatility are as much the trademarks of LA SALLE today as they were 23 years ago. The Middle Eastern and Western Indian Ocean countries continue to in- crease in importance as an area of con- siderable global interest both economi- cally and politically. f'5 1 2 fi 2, WMI?-viltlbillg f'X ls.,.fQ-I' 9 9 N U ' I1 7 7 9 . 1 l ,l ff. s I 1 IQHJ 4 l Q '- , fl. X ., ' V L ' -'51, -7-av--v-' -4 1 4 5-4 I- V7

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LA SALLE S HISTORY On 22 February 1964 USS LA SALLE was commissioned in the U.S. Navy as an Amphibious Transport Dock CLPDJ She joined her sister ships USS RALEIGH and USS VANCOUVER, as the newest class of amphibious ships in the Navy. Mobili- ty flexibility and versatility were the trademarks of these ships. Each could transport over 800 combat-ready Ma- rines' along with their equipment vehi- 'cles ammunition fuel and cargo at high speeds to the site of an amphibious operation. A variety of boats cranes elevators and conveyors plus the abili ty to embark helicopters could be ut1l ized to enable these operations to be conducted quickly and efficiently Taking this capability to the fleet LA SALLE s operating schedule has been far from routine She has demon strated her flexibility in numerous var red operations In 1965 she served as the flag ship for Atlantic Fleet am ph1b1ous forces during the Dominican Crisis That same year she participated in the evacuatlon of Construction Ba tallion SIX from Guantanamo Bay Cuba during the Cuban M1ss1le Crisis 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 HAR RIER VTOL QVert1cal Take Off and Landingj fighter-bomber In 1972 after an extensive over- haul LA SALLE was designated as a Miscellaneous Command Ship CAGFJ and assumed duties as 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 av- erage of 55 000 nautical miles annual- ly in that role calling on ports in Africa Asia and the Middle East. LA SALLE assisted in the evacu- ation of 260 American and foreign civi- lians from the Iranian seaport of Ban- dar Abbas in 1979. She became the fo- cal point of U.S. activity in the Arabian Gulf at the outset of the Iranian Hos- tage Crisis The combination of the 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 8b years On ar rival she began a major overhaul which included increasing her air con d1t1on1ng capacity replacing and up grading the ship s four turbine genera tors adding an extensive electronics and communications package and re placing two 3 50 caliber guns with the MK15 Close In Weapons System CCIWSJ USS LA SALLE returned to the Arabian Gulf and resumed flagship du tiesfor COMIDEASTFOR in June 1983. Since then, she has continued to provide the embarked staff with reli- able 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 con- duct minesweep operations in the Red Sea in response to anonymous attempts to disrupt the free passage of shipping there. In the beginnig of 1986 LA SALLE was dispatched to conduct contingency operations off the coast of Yemen inthe 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 flagshipand a logistics support ship during Northern Arabian Gulf contingency operation 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 pe- riod during this operation. 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 at- tack. 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 initial repair require- ments of STARK, provided accommo- dations to her crew and served as a investigation and public relation func- tions associated with the tragic event. 4 an 19 , 7 7 7 7 ' 9 7 7 7 s 7 7 ' ' ' GE , . 7 , 77 , . 9 9 , 7 7 7 Q 7 7 7 7 7 , 7 7 7 ' -7 , , - . . . . 4 . . . u n u I . - , , . . . . , , . u n c u . . I - i , - -- - - - . central basefor all damage assessment, , . . . . , ' - . . - . . - ' , I n I u u I , I I , Q 1 v a Q u - . . . .. , A , . . , . - u , I , I . ' l ' ll ' , - - 7 4

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COMMANDER JOINT TASK FORCE MIDDLE EAST REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM M FOGARTY MARCH 1989 PRESENT Rear Admiral Fogarty is a native of Des- Moines, Iowa and entered the Navy via NROTC at Iowa State University of Science and Technology in 1958. He first served aboard USS GUNSTON HALL CLSD 51 as Navigator, and later as Chief Engineer. His next assignment was as Executive Officer of USS OUTAGAMIE COUNTY QLST 10731, followed in 1962 by USS LOFBERG CDD 7591, where he was Chief Engineer and then Weapons Offi- cer. He then served as Anti-Submarine Tactical Officer, and later as Aide and Flag Lieutenant on the Staff of Commander, Cruiser- Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. In 1967, Rear Admiral Fogarty served as Executive Officer of USS ROWAN CDD 7821. He took command of USS HOO- PER IFF 10261 in 1968. - He is a 1971 graduate of the German command and Staff College, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany. Rear Admiral Fogarty served as Chief,Engineer of USS WASP CCVS 181 in 1971 and the following year commissioned and served as Com- manding Officer of USS JESSE L. BROWN CFF 10891. Rear Admiral Fogarty obtained a Masters Degree in Interna- tional Affairs from George Washington University while attend- ing the National War College in Washington D.C. in 1975. He is also a graduate ofthe Harvard University s John F. Ken- nedy School of Government Executive Program in National and International Security. From the summer of 1975 to the fall of 1976 he served with the Plans and Policy Directorate QOP-601 Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Other as- signments in the Pentagon have included Military Assistant to the Special Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secre- tary of Defense and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy. Rear Admiral Fogarty took command of Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-SIX in July 1979 and shortly thereafter made an extended deployment to the Mediterranean where Destroyer Squadron TEN in August of 1980. In September 1981 Rear Admiral Fogarty was assigned as Prospective Commanding Officer of the battleship NEW JERSEY CBB 621, which was recommissioned in December 1982. In Decem- ber of 1981 he was selected for the Flag rank of Rear Admiral fLower Half1. In October 1983 Rear Admiral Fogarty at- tended the CJCS sponsored General and Flag Officer Profes- sional Military Education Course CCAPSTONE1 and subse- quently was assigned in January of 1984 as Director of Force Level Plans and Warfare Appraisal Division in the Naval Warfare Directorate on the staff of the Chiefof Naval Opera- tions COP-9501. . He was selected to the rank of Rear Admiral CUpper Half1 in February 1985. In February 1986 Rear Admiral Fo- garty took command of Amphibious Group TWOfAmphibi ous Strike Force Atlantic. ln August 1987 he was assigned as Director Plans and Policy U51 U.S. Central Command. In March 1989 Rear Admiral Fogarty reported as Com- mander Joint Task Force Middle East and Commander Mid- dle East Force located in Manama Bahrain. Rear Admiral Fogarty s personal decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Ser- vice Medal Navy Legion of Merit with four Gold Stars and Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V and Gold Star. Rear Admiral Fogarty is married to the former Dawn Purvis of St. Petersburg Beach Florida. 9 9 9 9 1 9 11' H W., , 9 9 , Q 9 - 9 9 9 9 9 7 9 9 9 9 SL 99 9 l - 6