Lewis Puller (FFG 23) - Naval Cruise Book

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Lieutenant Commander William T. D ' Amico United States Navy Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander William T. D ' Amico is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon completion of Navy Diving and Salvage Training at the Washington Navy Yard, he was assigned to USS PIGEON (ASR 21) in San Diego, CA. Enroute he attended Saturation Dive Training at Submarine Development Group ONE. In May 1984 he was reassigned to the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) in Panama City, FL as the Operations Training and Saturation Diving Officer. Upon completion of his tour at NEDU, he was assigned as Executive Officer of USS EDENTON (ATS 1) from September 1986 to February 1989 and as Executive Officer of USS OPPORTUNE (ARS 41) from July 1989 to June 1990. Both ships are homeport- ed in Little Creek, VA at the Naval Amphibious Base. He assumed command of BOLSTER in September 1990. Lieutenant Commander D ' Amico is a recent selectee for promotion to Commander. His personal decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars. Navy Achievement Medal with one gold star, National Defense Ribbo n and Sea Service Ribbon. He is married to the former Darlene Carter of Annapolis, MD. They have two children: Cara, 9 and Andrea, 7. 20

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USS BOLSTER (ARS 38), the first of six ships of the AR5 38 class, was built by the Basalt Rock Shipbuilding Company, Inc. at Napa, California, and commissioned on 1 May 1945. Her primary missions are harbor and coastal salvage and long-distance open ocean towing. She is assigned a full complement of divers, and can support air diving operations to a depth of 190 feet of sea water using either MK 12 or the new MK 21 Surface Supported Diving Systems. She has an onboard recompression chamber for treatment of stricken divers and for conduct of surface decompression dives. BOLSTER carries a full package of portable salvage equipment, including high-capacity water pumps, generators, compressors, and underwater welding equipment. She also carries two 50- ton capacity hydraulic cable pullers and four specialized anchors to assist in refloating grounded vessels. Coupled with her installed deck equipment, all these items give BOLSTER enormous flexibility and the ability to accomplish a wide variety of heavy salvage tasks. Her 100,000-pound capacity automatic towing winch allows her to perform double duty as a towing vessel, and she is often called upon to transfer decommissioned Naval units to their final resting places. BOLSTER ' S long and illustrious carrer has included participation in campaigns during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. In Vietnam, she operated in the vicinity of Da Nang, earning the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation. In December 1982, BOLSTER made diving history by conducting the first working dive of the MK. 12 mixed-gas (He02) rig while salvaging an F-4 aircraft in 210 feet of sea water outside Subic Bay, In June 1983, she transferred to the Naval Reserve Force and moved to Long Beach from her original home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Although her primary mission is now training of her Selected Reserve force, she has continued to support vital Third Fleet Operations by successfully completing well over 20,000 miles of open ocean towing since 1987, in addition to numerous salvage evolutions. Along the way she has earned both the COMNAVSURFPAC Self-Sufficient Ship Award and the CNO Surface Ship Safety Award for salvage vessels. 19

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Lieutenant Albert W. Griepenstroh United States Naval Reserve Executive Officer Lieutenant Albert W. ( Chip ) Griepenstroh is a 1981 gra- duate of the Florida Institute of Technology. He attended Offi- cer Candidate School and was commissioned in October 1982. Upon completion of Navy Diving and Salvage Training and Mixed-Gas (He02) Diver training in August 1983, he was as- signed to USS NITRO (AR 23) as First Division Cargo Officer. In August 1986 he was reassigned to USS FLORIKAN (ASR 9) as First Lieutenant and later Operations Officer. In January 1989 he began a foreign exchange tour with the Royal Canadi- an Navy aboard HMCS CORMORANT (ASL 1), where he served as Diving Officer. He relieved Lieutenant Peter Webb as Executive Officer of BOLSTER in November 1991. Lieutenant Griepenstroh ' s personal decorations include the Navy Achievement Medal and the Navy Expeditionary Medal. He is married to the former Patti Boles of Albany, KY. ENCS (SW) (MDV) Clifford M. Ellis United States Navy Command Senior Chief Senior Chief Engineman (Surface Warfare Specialist Master Diver) Clifford M. Ellis enlisted in the Navy in August 1974 and attended Recruit Training at NTC San Diego, California. His first ship was USS OPPORTUNE (ARS 41) where he served from February 1975 to May 1975. Then he reported to Assault Craft Unit ONE in San Diego, until June 1977 when he attended Second Class Diver training at Naval Station San Diego, California. He reported to USS SALINAN (ATF 161) in Mayport, Florida in October 1977 and later to USS ORION (AS 18). In July 1980, he attended First Class Diver training and then reported to Naval Submarine Training Center, Pacific, for instructor duty until May 1983. In 1983, he received Saturation Dive training and then reported to USS ORTOLAN (ASR 22). Following a short tour at Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit TWO in Little Creek, Senior Chief Ellis was awarded the pres- tigious title of Master Diver. He reported aboard USS BOL- STER in January 1991 and now serves as Diving and Salvage Division Officer, Master Diver, and Command Senior Chief. 21