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Speeches from Decommissioning CeremonyLCDR Jimenez Speech Intro for Mayor Buol Commodore Fuller, Mrs Fuller, CAPT Kitchener, COL Driscell, CAPT Cox, CAPT Deehr, Deputy, Former CO's of Dubuque retired CAPT Goldend, CAPT McCormack, CAPT Hejl, and CAPT Ursettie, plank -owners, former Dubuque Crew members and guests. A Special welcome to, my wife Nancy, my son Cezanne, daughter Katiah, my brother Jorge, his wife Angie, and their boys Jr., Isaiah and Xavier. Please know that I am humbled by your presence here today. We have a special guest joining us today the Mayor of Duqubue, IA, the Honorable Roy D. Buol. Mayor Buol is a Dubuque -native. Since 2002 he has been the Director of the Landscaping and Grounds department at the University of Dubuque. He holds Bachelor degrees in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Dubuque, where he has also completed graduate coursework. He is currently enrolled in the National League of Cities Certificate of Achievement Program and represents Dubuque in the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Buol was first elected to a four-year term November 2005, and re-elected for a second term in 2009. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce the Honorable Roy D. Buol. USS Dubuque Decommissioning Ceremony Thursday, June 30, 2011 • Thank you. Good morning. As Mayor of Dubuque, Iowa it is my privilege to be here today on behalf of my City Council colleagues and the 58,000 residents of Dubuque. I am also honored to be joined by Former Dubuque Mayor Walter Pregler who was Mayor of Dubuque in 1967. In fact, he attended the USS Dubuque's commissioning ceremony in Portsmouth Virginia in September 1967, along with Dubuque's then Police Chief and Fire Chief. (Ask Walt to stand) = We are proud to be here today representing Dubuque and to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the many men and women who have so commendably served on this vessel over the years. • The people of Dubuque have always felt a strong connection to this ship and the ship's family as we followed your missions and accomplishments. We are grateful to the current and past staff of the USS Dubuque who have maintained the relationship with our city through correspondence, visits, and exchanges over the years. • We would also like to thank the Navy for the invitation to today's ceremony and for the hospitality you have shown us during our brief visit. We are grateful to the Naval History and Heritage Command for granting our request to loan the ship's bell to the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque Navy League. I assure you it will be proudly and prominently displayed in Dubuque for our citizens and visitors to view. • Notably, I bring our community's collective gratitude to all the service men and women and veterans here today for protecting our freedom and for your service on the USS Dubuque. The residents of Dubuque are proud to have been connected to this vessel and extend an open invitation to you and your families to visit us in Dubuque, our "Masterpiece on the Mississippi!" At this time, I would like to read the official Resolution read into the record at Iowa's General Assembly just yesterday: A RESOLUTION HONORING THE FOUR -DECADE SAGA OF THE USS DUBUQUE AND ITS CREW. WHEREAS, after over 40 years of service, from Vietnam to the Horn of Africa, the USS Dubuque is scheduled for decommissioning on June 30, 2011, and will be placed in reserve; and WHEREAS, LPD-8, as the USS Dubuque is designated, was commissioned in 1967 as an amphibious transport dock; and WHEREAS, the USS Dubuque saw extensive duty in Vietnam, earning eight campaign stars for Vietnam service, and in a highly publicized event in October 1968, the ship returned 14 repatriated prisoners of war to North Vietnam; and WHEREAS, in the final chapter of the Vietnam conflict, in April 1975 the USS Dubuque participated in the evacuation of Saigon and the rescue of refugees fleeing South Vietnam; and WHEREAS, over the decades the USS Dubuque saw service throughout the globe and has received two Navy Unit Commendations, four Meritorious Unit Commendations, three Battle Efficiency Awards, three Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, and four Humanitarian Service Medals, and participated in countless amphibious exercises and operations throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans; and WHEREAS, most recently in 2010 the USS Dubuque and its crew completed a humanitarian mission, providing support services in a massive humanitarian and disaster relief effort for the flood -ravaged nation of Pakistan; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That the House of Representatives honors the men and women who have served aboard the USS Dubuque and honors the ship itself for over four decades of military and humanitarian service. House Resolution 62, p. 2 We, Kraig Paulsen; Speaker of the House of Representatives, and W. Charles Smithson, Chief Clerk of the House, hereby certify that the above and foregoing Resolution was adopted by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-fourth General Assembly. 0���Je �04tol� KRAI PAULSEN Speaker of the House W. CHARLES SMITHSON Chief Clerk of the House. Igo c cua � , .41- Intro for CAPT (ret) Ursettie It is with great pleasure that I introduce our next speaker. He took command of USS DUBUQUE (LPD 8) 44 years ago, the first commanding officer, setting the stage of over 4 decades of proud and faithful service to a nation by the ship you see behind me today. In honor of that fine day of September 151, 1967, we made the decommissioning program in the same style and with many of the original photographs as the original commissioning program. PA It is a privilege to be here today, and I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words. I am fortunate to come full circle by being present for both the commissioning and the retirement of this fine ship. I would like to recognize the citizens of Dubuque, Iowa. They were very proud of having this ship named in honor of their home town. When I went to their city as a representative of the ship, they welcomed me with a dinner and a parade. The Dubuque was my last sea command and my favorite command. At that time she was new and state of the art. I see that she's had more than a few technological upgrades since my time. It appears she has weathered the seas well. One of the most famous exploits that the ship is noted for is the North Vietnamese prisoner release during the Vietnam War. The release of 14 North Vietnamese sailors had been arranged in secrecy and good faith in the hopes that we could get some of our captured pilots back. After four months of planning and negotiation, a 48-hour designated neutral zone was established in the Gulf of Tonkin where we were to release the prisoners. The Navy had bought an old fishing junk in Danang for use by the prisoners, but when the time came, we couldn't get its engines going. Because the prisoners needed to be returned within the alloted time, Admiral Lacy gave permission to use one of our stripped -down whale boats. The prisoners got in the boat but had to be checked out on how to run it. When they were ready to run the boat, they stripped off their clothes down to their skivvies and piled them up in the cabin of the whale boat. I called back my crew, and we sent them off. Now we needed to account for a missing boat. In filling out the paperwork, we couldn't say how we lost the boat because the prisoner release was highly classified at the time. It took longer to make up a story and fill out the paper work to account for the missing boat than it took to do the actual prisoner release. The Dubuque and all its crews over the years have a lot to be proud of as we close out her history. I am honored to have been a part of that history and wish you all smooth sailing. Commodore Fuller Intro It is a great honor to welcome and introduce the guest speaker, my boss. Commodore Fuller's biography is in the program, but let me tell you some highlights of the greatness before you. He is a Surface Warrior earning his commission from Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. I hope it wasn't during the winter months. I have first hand knowledge on how brutal the winters in Newport can be. He has served on several platforms, including the USS AMERICA (CV 66), the USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45), the USS SPARTANBURG COUNTY (LST 1192), COMDESRON THIRTEEN, COMPHIBRON SIX, and XO on USS SHREVEPORT (LPD 12). He commanded the USS PEARL HARBOR. His shore tours include the Officer of Force Transformation as the Transformation Chairs and Joint Operational Concepts Program Manager. He earned several Battle Efficiency awards in both his XO and CO tours. He currently commands arguably the best squadron of expeditionary warriors and ships in the world, Amphibious Squadron Three. He is responsible for delivering our national treasure, our Sailors and Marines, into the fight, any time, anywhere. He commanded the squadron throughout the fifth fleet area of responsibility with ships, Sailors and Marines spread out through several countries and oceans thousands of miles apart. He demands nothing but success from his commanders. Commodore, thank you for your dedicated and sincere concern for our Sailors, our ships, and our Navy. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome Commodore Fuller, Commander, Amphibious Squadron Three. (applause) Salutations Good morning, Mayor Buol, (Mayor of Dubuque Iowa), Mrs. Buol, Mr. Pregler, CAPT (ret) Ursettie, CDRE(ret) Kenny Golden, former DUBUQUE CO CAPT Kitchner COL Driscell CAPT(ret) Brian McCormack, former DUBUQUE CO CAPT(ret) Jeffrey Miller, former DUBUQUE CO HTC(ret) Ron Reeves, plank owner RMC(ret) Rodney Cupples, plank owner Fellow Captains, sailors and marines of USS Dubuque This is a great day to conduct a ceremony! First and foremost 1 would like to thank Captain Jiminez for requesting me to speak today. Note that we had many speakers for today's ceremony and 1 will keep my comments brief and to the point. 1 would first like to recognize the sailors and marines of Dubuque for a great job in getting the ship ready for this transition to inactive status. They have worked hard for this turnover and have done a fabulous job in closing up the ship. 1 applaud you for your efforts. 1 would also like to thank the color guard and the 2q PPA"-% iAfgANc. Ca,&PS 6P,.,k for their support for today's event. Great job to you as well. 2 It was a team effort by the waterfront and many hands had a part in this transition effort and my hat is off to all iu AL- t v c sEKLIL� . of you who helped Dubuque get ready fort . 1 wanted to talk about a couple a things: One point 1 want to mention is about the forthcoming budget constraints that will impact the future of the amphibious fleet and my second point 1 would like to make is that the capability of today's Amphibious Ready Group brings a significant bang for the buck and Dubuque, this great ship, has led the way in her historic career to demonstrate taxpayer's return on their investment. Historically in recent years the Marine Corps ship inventory requirement to support worldwide operations 3 has been somewhere around 38 amphibious ships. This number of 38 ships has been debated over the years. And to date the Navy has been challenged in meeting this Marine Corps inventory requirement for lift capability. Today we have approximately 28 ships in our amphibious ship forces worldwide. As you can see ladies and gentlemen the adage of doing more with less is alive and well in today's amphibious forces. This delta of ten ships is a huge disparity. As 1 mentioned, we will further experience resource constraints that will impact our sponsor on the CNO's staff. These funding pressures coupled with our ever- 4 expanding mission requirements for our amphibious forces will be a daunting assessment task. Programs will be carefully assessed across the board, ship construction timelines will be adjusted`,as well as decommissioning requirements in the future. These fiscal defense plan challenges will have a significant impact in how we support our national defense objectives and goals for years to come. We are indeed faced with doing more with less and this fiscal reality is by no means a small issue for naval forces. Across the board war fighter requirements are in jeopardy to be either cut or simply deleted from the fiscal defense plan all together. This is a hard reality R but a needed one considering our national economic struggles. The budget programmers will have tough choices to make. Now, one of the of great things going for the amphibious forces today is - if the demand signal is high for the Amphib fleet it will be very hard to cut or delete amphibious lift requirements in the future years defense budget plan. 1 submit, amphibious forces are in fact in high demand by fleet commanders and PELARG and others have responded well to these demanding high optempo requirements. Now what 1 will describe to you later in this speech will clearly illustrate the need to not only maintain our current amphibious force ship numbers but also 2 validate the need to increase the amphibious forces worldwide. And we can thank the good sailors and marines of Dubuque and those hard -charging devil dogs of 15" MEU for their accomplishments they achieved together in the past two years and frankly we have set the stage in how we should train and employ amphibious force capability in the 215t century and Dubuque has truly led the way and her legacy will be felt for years to come. Now that I have talked about the fiscal budget challenges of the future of amphibious forces now 1 want to tell you how we the amphibious forces provide a significant return on investment- that bang for your buck factor - and how the sailors and marines of Dubuque coupled with 15` MEU exemplify the best of the best naval forces has to offer. When 1 assumed command of PELARG back in 2009 IS Dubuque was getting ready for a Pacific Partnership deployment. However if you recall then the swine flu was pandemic and unfortunately many members of ship's company came down with the flu. This unfortunate incident put a stop to deployment plans for the ship in supporting humanitarian assistance operations in the south pacific. But this set back was only temporary. Dubuque had a very ambitious work up cycle and achieved things that others would have dreamt of. Significant of note was that she not only certified in her cycle early she 9 accomplished engineering certification during her initial assessment. Folks that single achievement in itself of AlIIAI ASSeSSMfni certifying the engineering departmentthad only been accomplished by a couple of ships in naval history and this was a 43-year-old ship at the time when she achieved such status. A fantastic achievement indeed! What is more during her work up cycle an Inspection Survey was scheduled prior to deployment in 2010. Frankly 1 was worried that this mandatory congressional inspection was being held on this very old but sweet platform. And to my amazement when these top Navy inspectors came on board every thing worked according to specifications. Unbelievable. Then Capt Nosenza commanded the ship, and it validated his confidence in this crew that they indeed knew how to M train and they knew how to maintain in keeping this fine warship mission ready. We were fortunate to have Capt Bolt follow in command and he continued the ship's outstanding performance through a complex work -up schedule. But there was an added twist to the work -up cycle for Dubuque and its sailors and marines. The CNO and Commandant directed PELARG and ISth MEU to conduct a proof of concept for establishing an opposed vessel board search and seizure capability. Yet another daunting task using limited resources and expanding the mission requirements of the ARG. 10 Dubuque led the way for PELARG and I designated Dubuque as my VBSS proof of concept platform and she worked very closely with the embarked 15"' MEU marines to develop tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct an opposed ship take down capability for others to emulate. At the time in early 2010 we had no idea that Dubuque and 15t' MEU would actually conduct a mission of this magnitude but 1 will talk about that later. Now 1 will fast forward - During the work -up cycle this crew conducted multiple training evolutions with 151'' MEU demonstrating ship take down tactics. It was a sight to see her launching multiple rhibs, attack helicopters, the ship's security force, snipers manned on the ship upper levels, snipers in helicopters, and cobra's airborne at the ready to support on a moments notice for either an air or surface take down. PELARG demonstrated this capability over and over for our boss VADM Hunt in his role as COMTHIRDFLT and to say the least he was very pleased -rKr and impressed with capability. During deployment Dubuque was our lead theater security cooperation ship and she conducted multiple bi-lateral exercises with the countries such as Yemen, Bali, Kuwait, and Jordan to name a few. Thdyoerformed superbly as ambassadors of good -will to these countries. 12 Now when Dubuque was operating in the Arabian Gulf working with the Kuwaitis, 1 received a call from C5F to support national tasking to the country of Pakistan - Pakistan was suffering from the worst monsoon season ever that resulted in the worst natural disaster in thier history. Pakistan experienced flooding that spanned from Main to Florida from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. The farm lands were inundated with flooding and we were tasked to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Now this was a task on a monumental scale. We conducted the longest amphibious ship to shore movement ever recorded in history by inserting 15 helicopters 700 nautical miles inland, with 300 marines and sailors on the ground. Those sailors and marines 13 delivered over 7.5 million pounds of disaster relief supplies and evacuated thousands from the affected flood areas, spanning over a three month period. Meanwhile, we directed Dubuque to re -aggregate the Combat Logistic Battalion from Kuwait and rendezvous with Peleliu to provide additional support off the coast of Pakistan. However, by the time Dubuque arrived on station we were told by the Pakistani government that they would only allow 300 boots on the ground. So this led my staff to come up with new tasking for Dubuque. So we transferred all of our remaining transport helicopters from Dubuque and inserted them in Pakistan and placed our Cobra helicopter element on Dubuque and sent her down to the Gulf of Aden to 14 support the multinational forces that were escorting commercial vessels from the Gulf of Aden to the Northern Arabian Gulf. Peleliu and Pearl Harbor remained on station off the coast of Pakistan and we had a very interesting routine. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we supported disaster relief efforts in Pakistan, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, we launched AV-8 Harriers into Afghanistan providing close air support for Operation Enduring Freedom. This dynamic and flexible capability of the ARG/MEU team that 1 just described illustrates an incredible capability. In other the words, on the one hand during the week we were conducting soft power operations in 15 Pakistan and on the hand we were conducting hard power operations dropping bombs in Afghanistan. Now back to Dubuque and her operations. Ladies and gentlemen the climax of our deployment is when Dubuque arrived on station in the Gulf of Aden. We received a distress call from the Motor Vessel Magellan Star indicating that they were under attack by pirates. It was fortuitous that Dubuque was on station near the Magellan Star and she had a crew trained to rescue a ship under such circumstances. And less than 24 hours of getting the word of mission go Dubuque and 15th MEU boarded the Magellan Star, nine pirates were captured, and eleven crew members were rescued. An amazing feat to say the least. 16 What is more, PELARG and 15th MEU were conducting air strikes in Afghanistan, and providing disaster relief in Pakistan all on the same day. Again, this capability resides only in the amphibious forces and clearly justifies sustaining the force for the future. There is no question that no other capability exists around the world that can conduct this type of simultaneous operations spanning a geographic theater as expansive as COMFITHFLT in the Middle East. So in closing 1 would like to acknowledge this good man who has taken the helm over the past few months. Ivan, and 1 might add, the best looking commanding officer in my group, you have done a fantastic job during your tour as the ship's Executive Officer and Ship's Captain. Ivan your impeccable attention to detail, 17 outstanding character, and superb leadership during this tour has made my job much easier. You guided this ship in being the best of the best and earning the distinction as the best ship in my group and being awarded the Battle "Efficiency" award for 2010, PAID ma T-� Pq as one4he top ships in Navy. Not bad for a 44 year old ship. Ivan you and the crew of Dubuque have my highest respect and 1 wish you well. Now as for Ivan's family, Nancy, Cezan, Katia 1 thank you too, for supporting this very fine naval officer. But o,a v.cls p"�.-'ems as you know Nancy your husbandis off to another arduous sea duty command heading to the USS Vandegrift but 1 know you are up to the task. H thank you for the opportunity to address this group during this ceremony. God bless you all and long live Dubuque one of the finest ships to ever sail the seven seas. Faremrsll and following seas to a legend that will never be forgotten. 19 Main Speech Thank you Commodore Fuller. The crew and I are truly honored by your words. Even though a decommissioning ceremony is not prescribed by Naval Regulations, it is instead an honored product of Naval tradition. It is worth conducting because formal occasion allows the opportunity to show off the crisp uniforms of the crew, the fine condition of the ship, and, as the Captain, I must recognize the heroes of this great crew and offer a sincere "thank you" in front of the Commodore and invited dignitaries. Today we are gathered to celebrate the 44 years of service of the USS DUBUQUE. Or are we here to honor the people that provided service, care and countless hours of maintenance, cleaning, and preservation that have allowed her to remain the great ship that she is. I think it is the latter. The USS Dubuque was a tremendous success over the past few years solely due to the dedication of individuals. It didn't just happen. YOU, who are manning the rails and working behind the scenes, did the work and deserve the praise. The Sailors and Marines that served aboard the DUBUQUE for the past 44 years are the reason she served our nation with extreme success, even on this last day, as you can see by her superb condition. The Sailors and Marines of DUBUQUE made it all happen. Sailors like SM3 Reedy who served from March 1968 to November 1969 and was on board when the Dubuque was off the waters of Hanoi during a POW exchange, a first for the U.S. Navy. EM2 Plunkette: He served from September 1969 through October 1972, and is quoted saying, "Great ship, great crew, busy times. Worked hard and partied harder — many great memories, but most of all great people!" And most recently, Sailors like ABH3 Ingua, who safely launched and recovered more than a 1000 helicopters without incident. Only the big decks do more. BMl Certa, who safely launched 210 individual AAVs from our well deck in the past year, 26 LCU launches, and an LCAC sending hundreds of Marines ashore over and over again. Engineers MMl Row and EM2 Dunlap, who kept the boiler steaming, turbines and shafts spinning, and power going to all the auxiliary equipment despite the 115 degree temperatures in the main spaces below deck while in the Middle East. I wish I could mention all the engineers by name. They especially deserve the recognition. The Dubuque's Chief s Mess — I truly believe that Chiefs run the Navy. Or, at least they should. In good commands (like Dubuque), they did. You have the most challenging, yet rewarding, job in the world — the ability to affect lives. You teach, train, discipline, reward, and watch Sailors mature into the future of our Navy. You taught me that no one is inherently any better, or any smarter, than anyone else. Differences arise from natural skills, acquired knowledge, experience, and maturity. You lived the example of all great organizations, "If you take care of the people, the people will take care of the mission." The Wardroom: Your professionalism and leadership made the difference in creating the outstanding command environment that made our ship the best on the water front. Continue to take care of your people, Trust your Chiefs, And become experts in the jobs you are assigned. Become that "go to" officer. There are 1000's more Sailors that have served the Dubuque's needs and that have been served and protected by the good ship Dubuque. It was the Sailors, the leadership, and the guiding principles that have kept Dubuque alive for 44 years. The Sailors, Marines and the families made the ship special and alive. The Dubuque is alive today because of the people like us, everyone here; people who care about where we are and understand what has to happen. Lastly and most importantly, please allow me to thank my family; my wife Nancy, son Cdzanne, and daughter Katiah. The Navy lifestyle is difficult, but rewarding. My children have attended 5 different schools through only the 5" grade. The saying is true, "Navy Spouse, the toughest job in the Navy." (pause for flowers to go to Nancy and Katiah) 0 My wife Nancy has the patience of a saint, she is a counselor, a cheerleader, she is the kindest woman on the planet, and she is my best friend. Thank you for supporting me every step of the way. I love you! "I will now read the Decommissioning Order." M/C: "Ship's Company, ATTENTION" *NOTE: Official Party Stands* LCDR Jimenez FROM Commmander naval surface fleet PACIFIC, TO expeditionary strike group three, amphibious squadron THREE, USS DUBUQUE (LPD 8). SUBJECT: USS DUBUQUE(LPD B) DECOMMISSIONING GUIDANCE. PER REFS A AND B, uss dubuque HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR FY11 DECOMMISSIONING. THIS Message PROVIDES AUTHORIZATION TOCOMMENCE INACTIVATION AND SUBSEQUENT DECOMMISSIONING. USS dubuque WILL BE DESIGNATED as A RETENTION/MOBILIZATION ASSET AND CLASSIFIED OUT OF COMMISSION IN RESERVE ON THIS DAY, 30 JUNE 2011. DECOMMISSIONING LCDR Jimenez (Remains at podium) "Executive Officer, Make preparations to Decommission United States Ship DUBUQUE." XO Aye aye, Sir! (Turns to Dept Heads..) Department Heads, REPORT! XO (returns salute) "Very well." (Turns to CO and Salutes) "Sir, DUBUQUE is ready for Decommissioning." LCDR Jimenez (Returns salute) "Very Well.,, h LCDR Jimenez (Turning To CAPT Fuller) "CDRE, Request permission to decommission the ship." CAPT Fuller "Decommission the ship." (Permission is granted. LCDR Jimenez (Salutes CAPT Fuller) "Aye aye, Sir." "Executive Officer, De -Mann the ship!" XO (Salutes) "Aye aye, Sir. Officer of the Deck, De -Mann the ship." OOD (Reports to the Executive Officer) "Sir, The ship is de -manned. " XO (Salutes) "Very Well." (reports to CO) "Sir, the ship is De -Manned." LCDR Jimenez "Very Well." (Remains at Podium) "Strike eight bells. Haul down the Colors!" secured by conclusion of TAPS. LCDR JIMENEZ Xo 1055 Fuller, CAPT Fuller Adjutant LCDR Jimenez (Upon conclusion of Colors LCDR Jimenez turns to the XO and orders..) "Secure the Watch!" (Salutes) Aye aye, Sir. Officer of the Deck, Secure the Watch." LCDR JIMENEZ turns toward Captain salutes, and reports decommissioning to CPR3. "COMMODORE, I have been relieved and USS DUBUQUE has been decommissioned. Decommissioning of USS DUBUQUE is complete.,, "Very Well." "Ship's Company, PARADE REST" NOTE: Official Party is seated. Pennant presented. LCDR Jimenez (Takes the podium) "Mayor Buol, Please join me at the Podium." (The Mayor joins LCDR Jimenez at 8 the Podium) "On Behalf of a grateful nation I would like to present you with the final National Ensign to fly aboard USS DUBUQUE after 44 years of faithful service.,, M/C: "Will the guests please rise and remain Retiring of standing for the benediction, the Colors and the departure of the official party." 0