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USS Dubuque Hosts Tiger Cruise Following Seven Month Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101216-09
12/16/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) David McKee, USS Peleliu (LHA 5) Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- USS Dubuque (LPD 8) arrived at the Joint Military Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Dec. 9 for a one-day port visit to embark the family and friends of Sailors and Marines assigned to the amphibious transport dock ship for the ship's "Tiger Cruise."

Dubuque and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are returning from a regularly scheduled seven-month deployment where they conducted operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Red Sea, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Philippine Sea.

Dubuque embarked approximately 100 friends and family members for the "Tiger Cruise," which will be conducted on the ship's final leg from Hawaii back to its homeport of San Diego.

The new crew members, called "Tigers," will have the opportunity to observe various activities that make up the ship's mission including flight operations, small-arms weapons shoots, firing of the Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) and all aspects of amphibious operations, including an amphibious off-load on a beach in Southern California.

The ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee will provide the "Tigers" the chance to experience how Sailors and Marines relax when underway by sponsoring movie nights, or "cinema at sea," ice cream socials, bingo nights, board games nights and a "steel beach picnic" on the flight deck.

"The Tiger Cruise is an excellent opportunity for all of our service members' relatives to see how we live at sea," said Capt. Chris Bolt, Dubuque's commanding officer. "I am proud to share the final leg of Dubuque's last operational deployment with friends and family of the crew. There is no better way to end a warship's 43 years of commissioned service in the Navy."