McCloy (DE 1038) - Naval Cruise Book

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i l l liliililt The NATO joint exercise STRONG EXPRESS will be held throughout the northern Atlantic all from 14th to 28th September, 1972. The last BXBICIQ og similar scope was SILVER TOWER conducted! 1 68. STRONG EXPRESS is a large land, seaw air exercise which will involve about 64,000 mvfhfml ships and 700 aircraft, and will be conductedionfzi by the three NATO Military Commanders: Adm' Charles K. Duncan, USN, Supreme Allied COT, Atlantic ISACLANTJQ Admiral Sir nd , RN, Allied Commander-in-Chief, 1? 5 NCi-lANlg and General drewrG00dPaS'9 591 Allied Europe CSACEIUW- W concept oi the exercisg Cfffgm policies of the tolo AWIJQZ' wi 5 wilt several purpos6S2 'fzmmi NATO's defence posture in a vital area and WL both the cohesion of NATO and the will olgafm ance to maintain the indispensable mllitaryke pm? i STRONG EXPRESS is scheduled i0 fa dwg, in various parts of the North Atlantic and animal NATO land and sea areas simultaneouSlY- Vgmemtz exercising off the eastern coast of N0f'h chamgi northern Norway, the North Sea, Efl9 5huaI ,gif approaches, Iberian Peninsula. 805 cencise western portions of the North Atlantic. Exe' ations will include anti-submarineiand 3 marine warfare: mine laying and mlfle Utes: control of merchant shipping' warfare, and land-based patrol and attack aircraft operations. Two amphibious landings alOfl9 'hi Coast will highlight srnone EXPRESS: assault, marines from Netherlands. Un Later in the exercise. a landing W ducted in the county ot Troma. N0 approximately 3,000-man tri-national ninn nnnnnnfl ku and United States will make an UHOPPO l

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3-1- luly the eleventh was one day of late when G, L, Cassell made for us a date To sea we will go, that's where we belong So to our dependents we just said so long Our spirits had fallen, we all felt like QI! ?' And into the air group we didn't quite fit But then something happened , things started to jive Our squadron it seemed like had just come alive Our first day launch returned , and they said with a grin The grits that can gave us, it just was a sin What can? we all wondered, what's happening here We don't know its name yet we couldn't quite hear But listen to me, that ship's a good deal You HIFR from them and they send you a meal Now what in the world could be better than that You sit there, get full tanks, and also get fat lust think what they 'll do when we send them the mail Do you think they could send up a nice piece of Q?fi?! Is that all you think about, George? we all asked It's more than enough that they let us get gasecl Aw hell, I'm just fooling, I know there's no chance Then into our ready room, started to prance The next crew returning from pony express We waited all silently for them to address Finally the pilots looked like they would say lust what in the hell, now, that t-an ease away But all they t-onld rntlstcr was hnrp after l'-tarp A few hics, a i' f Y , ' .stunts .ind gt sltrrp And when this brnhalta did finally desist The guys started slowly to with :t list E-'our bags ttf potato -hips, font -'ans of mike Four cups and sonic tl e vtzbes, and that aln't no joke Four hot roast beef sandwrt hes, on frt-sh hrcad too And one upside down vake, that we t'rrnldn't yet through But further than that this ship's one of the best On HIFRS and transfers it arcs the test You tell them you arc t-orninti, that winds thirty port And ai green deck is waiting: in a time that's so short That you just ean't help it, to he damn impressed l've said it already, it's one of the best McC1oy, we salute you, we hope not too late We'l1 never forget good old 1023 So here's to your officers, and to your men God willing our paths shall soon cross again Kon the beachl From HS- 5

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Q l Tllll GEXPRESS vine units will attempt to link forces with elements of NATO's 5.000-man Allied Command Europe Mobil Force lland componentl. The ACE Mobile Force is comprised of well- equipped land and air units assigned to NATO by various member countries This multi-national fort: is immediately available for dispatch to any threat- lnld area, particularly on the flanks of Europe and functions primarily in a deterrent role. The make-up ol the Norwegian forces opposing the NATO landing will consist of 4,000 members of Brigade North and coastal artillery, Other Norwegian UOODS will serve as host country support elements to the ACE Mobile Force The army units altogether. including certain reserve forces, will consist of ap- Droximately 15.000 men of which one half are Nor- wegians and the other hall from other NATO countries, NATO naval units participating in STRONG EXPRESS will include attack and anti-submarine warfare aircralt carriers, cruisers, frigates and des- VUYGYSL mine layers and mine sweepers, fast patrol vessels. amphibious assault carriers, command and '9nd'n9 Ships: submarines: hovercraftg and auxilia- ftes. Aircraft involved will range from supersonic Hitters to long-range patrol aircraft, and a wide variety ol helicopters. Also taking part will be frigates and destroy- W5 GPNATOS Standing Naval Force Atlantic, the WY Permangtt multi-national naval squadron in his- 'OU tv Opefati in peacetime, and about 60 merchant SNDS which ave been chartered to execute the Operations ol convoys. In addition to the countries that are providing forces forthe exercise as a whole - Canada, Den- Litoark, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxem- d Wg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United King- lom and United States - and in conjunction with Ucfqnch naval forces will conduct a minesweeping