USS STARK FFG-31: USS STARK FFG-31, 1987 Combat Action Ribbon? Fact of Fiction?, You Decide

Correction notice, on the attached documents at the end of this post. Please note:

"In the list of enclosures 1-5, the bulletized point paper which is part of encl 5 states "...Iran and Iran..." on the first line of the Executive Issues section. An identical error is in the paragraph white paper, also part of encl 5, in the first line of the Background paragraph.

If you haven't submitted the documents to your congressmen yet, once you print the file please make a small pen change to one of the "Iran"s in both papers so it now states "Iraq".

If you are not submitting documents to your Congressmen, than no action is necessary."

Following is some interesting reading material put together by a fellow USS STARK shipmate, Tom Forrest CAPT USN. We need your help, Please read the information below and If you would like to support the 1987 USS STARK Crew in receiving the Combat Action Ribbon, please contact your congressmen and have your voice heard. All the information is listed below. You can email me at markwasnock@gmail.com if you would like the editable word document "Letter to Congress template". You can even help by sending me your acknowledged in support of this award prior to April 8, 2013. Complete contact information is needed (Name, Address, City, State, zip code, email or phone number)

The Waz

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BACKGROUND:

In 2006, while assigned to US Fleet Forces Command, I asked the Deputy Commander, VADM Cosgriff, if he would assist me in routing a CR package to the Secretary of the Navy for review and approval. I later received an email trail which included a note from VADM Cosgriff stating that both the OPNAV and SECNAV staffs were not in favor of reviewing a nomination and it would be "a dead letter." Concurrently, I approached then-US Senatorial candidate James Webb for his thoughts. As you may recall, he was the Secretary of the Navy at the time of the attack. He indicated to me, through his staff, that he would have supported the CR had a nomination been submitted back in 1987. Additionally, I contacted VADM Kalleres (Ret), the Commander of Cruiser-Destroyer Group Twelve at the time of the attack, who also endorsed the idea of a CR submission.

After the 20th Anniversary commemoration in 2007, I discussed the conversations and correspondence that I had with the 3 advocates listed above with fellow STARK crewmembers in order to gauge their support -- it was overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately, I was unable to continue pursuing my efforts because of other competing work and personal priorities, including two 1-year deployments to Afghanistan from 2008-2011.

In May 2012, I reengaged with Senator Webb's office and he took the unusual step of endorsing my request and sent an inquiry on my behalf to Secretary of the Navy Mabus (this was significant because I was told Senator Webb rarely gets involved with awards.) In October 2012, SECNAV replied to Senator Webb that according to the Board of Decorations and Medals the STARK's crew was not nominated for the CR and additionally does not merit the award. This seems inconsistent to me since 4 other Navy ship's crews that were involved in similar circumstances received the CR, including 2 incidents after 1987.

WHERE YOU FIT IN

Prior to Senator Webb's retirement in January 2013, his staff recommended that I notify STARK crewmembers, family and friends and ask them to contact their Congressmen to solicit their support to have SECNAV direct another review of the nomination package by the "Awards Board".

The attached files are as follows:

1) The Word document is a template similar to the one I created for my local Representative, who I hope will champion this effort with help from other Congressmen in the House and Senate. Given that it is a Word file, you may edit it as you see fit and send it to your Representative and Senators at their Washington DC or local office.

2) The Adobe attachment is pertinent for your review and should accompany your letter to your Congressmen. It includes the disapproval letter from the Secretary of the Navy to Senator Webb, letters which counter/contest the Board's findings, and the original CR nomination and supporting documentation given to Senator Webb in May 2012.

I have also created a separate generic letter (not attached) that I will send to various Congressmen, including committee leaders and politicians in your state, which will contain a list of names supporting this overall effort. Would you be willing to endorse this letter by allowing me to include your name on the list? If so, please reply to me as soon as possible with your name, address, and an email address (or phone number if no email.) Your signature is not required, as your personal information infers permission. I need your information no later than April 8th and it is not limited to one submission per crewman, family or household.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. This e-mail is being sent to everyone that provided an e-mail address to Mr. Richard Weaver (father of ET3 Wayne Weaver) who created a STARK contact list last May, plus a few other addresses I had filed away. I don't know if everyone who attended the 25th anniversary commemoration put their name on the list, but I'm sure there are many others out there who attended or were unable to attend who would be willing to join this effort. As a result, I encourage you to forward this e-mail and attachments to anyone you know who is part of the STARK family, but not on Mr. Weaver's contact list, as well as post it on any STARK social media sites to garner even more support. I recall that Vince Diantonio had a pretty extensive contact list a few years ago, but I don't know how many of those email addresses are still active.

I look forward to hearing from you before April 8th, and please don't spam everyone in the To: line...it includes some work email addresses.

Tom Forrest

CAPT USN