THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 27, 1995 TAG: 9509270500
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: staff report
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
DAM NECK HOSTS NATO EXERCISE: NATO exercise ``Cooperative Support '95,'' involving 78 representatives from 27 nations, is being held this week at the Navy's Fleet Combat Training Center at Dam Neck in Virginia Beach. The logistics exercise, sponsored by NATO's Supreme Allied Command Atlantic, which is headquartered in Norfolk, is designed to introduce Partnership for Peace nations to NATO's operations, focusing on the logistical aspects of peacekeeping, search and rescue, and humanitarian operations. Forty officers are participating from the following Partnership for Peace nations: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Kasakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, and the Ukraine. Twenty officers represent the following NATO nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
NEWEST NORFOLK SHIP: The Navy's newest patrol craft, the Thunderbolt, arrived at its home port at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base on Monday, becoming the eighth of nine Cyclone-class ships to be based here. The ship has a crew of 28 and is under the administrative control of Special Boat Squadron Two.
VICTORY RUN: Local runners can get their exercise and enjoy a great view of the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber and dozens of other aircraft during the third annual Air Force Association Victory Run Oct. 7 at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton. The 5-kilometer race and 1-mile fun run is open to military members/federal employees and civilians. Race registration is $12 through Monday and $15 thereafter. Fun run registration is $5. For more information, call Tech. Sgt. Steve Pivin at 764-5791.
CELEBRATE WITH SONG: Celebrate the Navy's 220th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Atlantic Fleet Band in a free band concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Chrysler Hall. The performance features the combined bands of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and ``Country Current,'' the Navy's premier country/bluegrass band. Complimentary tickets are available at the Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation/ITT offices, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum at Nauticus, the Navy Tour and Information Center, The Flagship office at the Naval Base and local Chamber of Commerce offices. For more information, call the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce at 622-2312 or the Navy League at 486-7654.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
DECOMMISSIONING:
The Jolly Rogers of Fighter Squadron 84 will be disestablished in ceremonies at 3 p.m. Friday in Hangar 23 at Oceana Naval Air Station. The F-14 Tomcat squadron, which was established in 1959, has made 15 extended deployments and has flown the F-4U Corsair, F-6F Hellcat, FJ-3 Fury, F-8C Crusader and F-4 Phantom over the years. Fighter Squadron 103, another F-14 squadron at Oceana, is assuming the name Jolly Rogers, as well as VF-84's history.
The destroyer tender Cape Cod, a 13-year veteran of the Pacific Fleet, will be decommissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth in ceremonies at 10 a.m. Friday. It arrived in Hampton Roads Sept. 5 under the command of Capt. T.J. Flaherty with a 353-member crew. During its career, it completed seven overseas deployments and more than 3,000 ship repairs.
CHANGE OF COMMAND:
Capt. Robert E. Besal relieves Capt. Ralph E. Suggs as commanding officer of the carrier America in ceremonies Thursday at sea in the Adriatic off the coast of Greece. Suggs has commanded the aircraft carrier since February 1994. He is being reassigned to Norfolk on the staff of the Atlantic Fleet Naval Air Force. Besal previously commanded the oiler Savannah.
Capt. Gregory C. Brown relieves Capt. Alan M. Gemmill as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. Brown's previous assignment was as warfare requirements branch head on the staff of the commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk. Gemmill will serve as deputy of current operations of U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
Cmdr. David H. Buss relieves Cmdr. Charles A. Hautau as commanding officer of Attack Squadron Three Four. Hautau's next assignment will be in the office of the chief of Naval Operations, N-81. Buss was previously executive officer of Attack Squadron Three Four. by CNB