New Orleans (LPH 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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Captain Michael J. Coumatos, a native of New York City, attended at State University Junior College in New York and Navy Flight Training School at Pensacola, Florida, and was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1968. V A C Captain Coumatos' initial aviation assignment was with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron5ONE in Imperial!Beach,, California, flying the UH-2C on two deployments to Vietnam on the carriers CORAL and ORISKANY. ' ll Following this tour, Captain Coumatos was selected to attend the U,S. NavyjTest Pilot Scltroolf at Patuxentliiver, Mary- land. As a Navy test pilot he flew over 30 different model aircraft includingljets, rnultifengine propellerlaircraft andtlielicopters. His major project work included the first Navy evaluation ofthe SH-2F, and ltherdgeveloprnentpf shipboardllaunchand envelopes for H-2, H-46, I-l-1 and l l'53 model helicopters. Captain Coumatos wasqone of'twof1Nayy.test pilots particil pate in the Army's competitive fly-off ofthe YUH-6Ofand YUFL61 aircraft. Thelfiikorsky chosenlas5fthg2Armyg Blackhawk, the forerunner of the Navy SH-6013 Seahawk. Q g i ll lltt igii gg llttt Captain Couma tos attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, li2i rginia, uary to ,Hereported to HSL-33 in December 1977 and deployed ,aboard USS ELLIOTIDD 9671lasgiQf5cer-in-lCltagge, ofa In December 1979, Captain Coumatos reported to theNavaI 1?Arr?,Systerns7Cornmand, D.C., as an Assistant Project Manager for Air Systems and Engineering of'the5LAMPS to HSL-35 as Executive Officer in,October 1980 and assumed command in December 198l.7Sttlrsequent ment as Operations Officer aboard USS OKINAWA CLP!-I 35 and lCommanding,Officer of to assignment to USS NEW ORLEANS, Captain Coumatos was the Assistant Chielfifzotigtatf for the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. I 1 A llllitr g A it Captain Coumatos' decorations include the following: Legion ofMerit,i Meritorious Seti?ic2Z5Medal, Na Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Meritorious f'E Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed ForcesrfggpeditionaryMedal, Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Republicof Vietnanifrflir Gallantrjggross, and Campaign Medal lHve awardsl. J if -3 fi f i ' Captain Coumatos and his wife, Susan, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, La They Q dren, Kelly and Michael, Jr. r s If , gg g ll , , f ,, f gong, 'ff r k fc 'PO saw . , . , . . . , , , ...is ,.,a..,s-.A.i,...a..,., Mc... '. e.:..1..g. J-,mu.aa.4...e,-Qa.,a s,,...sa,a.4s.vea:..g.:-,m:..sQ?.a4m,a,L.eLQ:.amf:s.t..,i.cf.:1s-as Lee-fa:.,:te':.1.-f-:,f -ss.m,e,-.M-,.-. kga..., -----.e.s-.,-.- Q W.-.-.,....g.I,.g..-. .- graduated from Western Michigan University in 1967 with a Bachelor tof,Science Degree in Aviation Engineering. He entered

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