The Virginian-Pilot
                            THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996                 TAG: 9604300407
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS            PAGE: A8   EDITION: FINAL  
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   91 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** The name of the cruiser Biddle was misspelled in a Military News page item Wednesday about a change of command. Correction published Friday, May 3, 1996 in THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT on page A4. ***************************************************************** WEEKLY BRIEFING

NAVY RELIEF KICKS OFF FUND DRIVE: The Hampton Roads Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society kicked off its annual fund drive Monday at the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk. This year's chairman is Rear Admr. Frank Dirren. Last year the society assisted more than 15,000 people with loans and grants of nearly $8 million, assisting one out of every six active-duty service members in the area. For more information on the fund drive, or how you can donate, call Lt. Mike Jaeger, 444-3520, ext. 7047. \

CARPER HOUSING DEMOLISHED: Demolition of the Navy's Carper Apartments in Virginia Beach began Monday. For public safety reasons the contractor is permanently closing Appomattox Drive to prevent traffic from cutting through Navy property.

COAST GUARD DEDICATES BUILDING: The Coast Guard Aviation Technical Training Center dedicated a building to Cmdr. Stewart R. Graham last week at the Coast Guard base in Elizabeth City, N.C. Graham, who served for 24 years beginning in 1937, was honored for his many contributions to Coast Guard aviation. He was the Coast Guard's second designated helicopter pilot, the first pilot to take off and land on a ship at sea, and he performed the first nighttime MEDEVAC. He was instrumental in the creation and development of most equipment used on modern helicopters, including the hydraulic hoist and the rescue basket. Graham and his wife live in Maine.

ARBOR DAY AT FORT MONROE: The public is invited to attend an Arbor Day, Earth Day and Keep Virginia Beautiful Day observance at 10 a.m. Friday in front of the Continental Center on Fenwick Road at Fort Monroe. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the post theater. For information, call Craig Norris at 728-5365.

BRITISH SHIPS IN PORT: Several British ships will be in port at the Norfolk Naval Station and Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base during May as part of the Combined Joint Task Force Exercise '96. The public may arrange a visit to most ships through Royal Navy representatives. For more information about pier numbers and how to contact ships, call Port Operations (Norfolk) at 444-1121 or the Public Affairs Office (Little Creek) at 464-7923.

Visiting Royal Navy vessels:

Norfolk Naval Station - May 14 - HMS Argyll

May 14-18 - HMS Brave

May 15-18 - RFA Argus

Little Creek - May 15-18 - RFA Sir Galahad, RFA Sir Geraint and RFA Sir Tristram

May 27-June 11 - RFA Fort George

COMINGS AND GOINGS

DEPARTING:

The guided missile destroyer Laboon is scheduled to leave Norfolk at 6 p.m. Friday for a six-month deployment to the Middle East Force. Its crew of 25 officers and 315 enlisted personnel is commanded by Cmdr. Douglas D. McDonald. Enroute to the Arabian Gulf, the Laboon will be joined by the Mayport, Fla.-based guided missile frigate Doyle. They are relieving the Norfolk-based destroyer Caron and Mayport-based frigate Underwood.

CHANGE OF COMMAND

Capt. Carl Lundquist relieves Capt. Larry Gionet as Commander, Surface Warfare Development Group at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Gionet is retiring after 30 years of service, including command of the frigate Samuel Eliot Morison and cruiser Briddle.

Cmdr. Thomas Hewitt relieves Cmdr. Mark Anderson as commanding officer of Helicopter Combat Squadron Two. Anderson will report to the amphibious assault ship Wasp as air officer. Hewitt was last assigned to the Naval War College in Rhode Island.

Capt. Richard Terpstra relieves Capt. Peter Flannery as Commander, Submarine Squadron Six. Flannery is transferring to the staff of the commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Terpstra's most recent assignment was as chief of the systems analyst branch in the Plans and Policy Directorate for the U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Neb.

- Staff report by CNB