Recently I wrote about a visit to the USS Constellation that I was very fortunate to make years ago. In that post I mentioned the captain of the ship without citing who he was.
This morning I realized I should do a bit of research and correct that – so I asked Gemini:
Who was the captain of the uss constellation who had previously led the blue angels?
Here’s how I got reacquainted with Captain Gil Rud:
That captain was Captain Gil Rud (USN, Ret.).
He served as the commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels from November 1986 to November 1988, notably leading the team’s transition from the A-4 Skyhawk to the F/A-18 Hornet. Later in his career, he served as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64) from May 1993 to December 1994.
I continued:
When was he assigned to the Constellation? I remember him talking about taking it out of the Philadelphia Navy Yard?
And learned:
Your memory is spot on. Captain Gil Rud took command of the USS Constellation in May 1993, which coincided exactly with the end of her massive Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
From July 1990 until early 1993, the carrier was essentially torn down and rebuilt in Philadelphia to add an extra 15 years to her operational life. Captain Rud was assigned to the ship just as this grueling three-year yard period was wrapping up.
He was the captain who literally “took her out” of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, leading the crew through the post-overhaul sea trials and commanding the carrier during its transit from the East Coast, around South America (as she was too large to fit through the Panama Canal), and back to her homeport in San Diego.
I continued this back and forth with Gemini learning about his career after the USS Constellation including his retirement from the Navy and work in private industry. Turns out he also authored a memoir: From the Prairie to the Pacific: A Blue Angel’s Journey.
Afterwards I felt better having done this research and getting reacquainted with Gil Rud.