Milwaukee (AOR 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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CHIEF OF STAFF Antisubmarine Warfare Group TWO 2l July l97l TO TEE OFFICERS AND ENL1sfrED MEN OF Uss MILWAUKEE As your first Commanding Officer, I have noted with pleasure your performance, both during my tenure and since I was relieved. The extraordinary success enjoyed by MILWAUKEE during her initial deployment is a distinct credit to all hands, both past and present. You earned the respect and praises of all activities with which you came in contact, both afloat and ashore. Your professional skill, combined with long hours and hard work, enabled MILWAUKEE to follow in the distinguished tradition of her namesakes and to take her proper place in the force that exists so that free men may live in peace. I wish you all Godspeed and a great future. Y in . W. MARTIN Captain, U. S. Navy

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During the later months of 1970, USS MIL- WAUKEE AOR2 began final preparation for the upcoming deployment to the Mediterranean. This was to be MILWAUKEE'S first deployment and she was to be the first AOR to serve with the Sixth Fleet. Much time, sweat, and hard work were put in by the officers and crew. In the process, MILWAUKEE, with the aid of Boston Naval Shipyard, overcame a near disastrous flooding of the cargo fuel pumproom. MILWAUKEE worked closely with the Newport Supply center overcoming unforeseen problems encountered with the large bulk of supplies needed to load out the first AOR in Newport. Finally on a cold, overcast afternoon, MILWAUKEE cast off the last line, passed under the Newport Bridge, and headed for the Mediter- ranean. On 21 Feburary, MILWVAUKEE consolidated with USS Seattle AOE3 and offically became part of the United States Sixth Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Issac C. Kidd, jr. The following day, MILWAUKEE pulled into Rota, Spain with a badly damaged Avgas pump. This problem was overcome by the outstanding efforts of the engineer- ing department. During the months that followed, long hours of hard work earned MILWAUKEE the reputation of an outstanding ship. The ship pulled together and operated as a highly effective unit. MILWVAUKEE was always ready and Sixth Fleet did not hestitate to call upon her to handle numerous difficult assign- ments. During her first deployment, MILWAUKEE served over 240 ships suppling in excess of 14 million gallons of Navy Special Fuel Oil and over 7 million gallons of JP5. In addition, over 325 tons of stores and vital supplies were transferred to Sixth Fleet units. These accomplishments represent a complete team effort. The engineerig department kept MIL- WAUKEE in a constant state of readiness to ans- wer the call. The near herioc effort of J Division kept the often temperamental winches operating, making transfers possible. The Deck Department be- ca.me a skilled team known to Sixth Fleet ships for its outstanding ability in passing rigs and stores. The Supply Department provided Ships with a virtual supermarket of supplies which were delivered on a moment's notice. The commissarymen provided food on the messdecks and the main deck for a tired and weary crew as unreping continued into the night and early morning hours. The Medical Department was called upon by surface and subsurface ships to provide on-the-spot medical care. Navigation and Operations were the silent heros, constantly providing vital information as a routine matter. These efforts were expertly coordinated under the leadership of the Commanding Officer and the Executive Officer. The deployment also had its memories of port vists: the bullfights in Puerto del Santa Maria, the Rambas of Barcelona, the hastle of busy Naples, the ancient glories of Rome and Athens, the peace and serenity of Soudha Bay, the busy canals ofVeniceg and, of course, the girls of Palma. These places pro- vide rest and excitement for a well-deserving crew. Perhaps the most marked and, hopefully, lasting effect of the deployment on MILWAUKEE is a feeling of esprit' de corps among the crew which has developed out of the long hours and demanding work. No matter how tired and wom out, each man was able to reach down for that extra drive to contribute to and satisfy the job at hand. It was this spirit which made MILWAUKEE'S first deployment a success that was recognized and appreciated by all, from the Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Kidd to the thousands of men on the ships we serviced. The following words of appreciation attest to this fact: