I think my class at destroyer school was the first to have “split tours,” certainly it was one of the very first. Destroyer school had been created for surface officers (long before they created the “Surface Warfare” designation. Afer successful tours on a destroyer, officers, usually lieutenants, were selected to go through Destroyer School in Newport, Rhode Island, to be one of the three operational department heads (weapons, engineering, or operations) on a destroyer.

When my class reported in May 1974, the move had been made to include other types of ships, amphibious and service force ships, in training their department heads. Rather than my class serving three years in a destroyer department head billet, we would spend roughly 18 months on a destroyer followed by another 18 months on either and amphib or service force ships.

— For those unfamiliar with the organization, these ships had 3-4 division officers in each department. Superior to the department heads was the executive officer and the commanding officer —

When i learned i would be transferred to the USS Anchorage (LSD 36) home ported in San Diego, i was not exactly jubilant. Also, i knew nothing about amphibious ships except from what i saw in WWII movies. i was glad i was assigned to an amphib rather than a service force ship. Oilers and ammunition ships had little time in port. They were too busy fueling and replenishing the combatants. Being a first lieutenant department head excited me even though i wasn’t sure what my duties would be, but i had enjoyed my brief time as first lieutenant, a division officer billet on the USS Hawkins (DD 873).

Before Hollister entered the yards for overhaul, we went to San Diego to attend equality training for the crew and wardroom. While moored at the Naval Station, San Diego (better know as 32nd Street), i was standing on the bridge starboard wing with a second class quartermaster. A large amphibious ship passed by us on her way to a pier berth. i wondered to the quartermaster if she might be the class i would be going to. i was that dumb about amphibs. The ship was the USS Mobile (LKA 115), an amphibious cargo ship, nothing like my future ship, the Anchorage, a landing ship dock.

Even though i did not know squat about amphibs, one of the best, if not the best tour of my career was about to begin.