Douglas A. Block

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Douglas A. Block was a Captain of the United States Navy who distinguished himself following the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord in November of 1995 during U.S. President Bill Clinton's administration. Block commanded the USS Simpson (FFG-56) during the rescue of a Russian merchant sailor who required immediate medical assistance.^[1]

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Block enlisted in the US Navy after graduating from high school in 1968. Block eventually attained the rank of Machinist Mate Chief, after which he was selected from a very small pool of candidates for the Navy Enlisted Scientific Education Program (NESEP). During this time, he was enrolled at the University of Nebraska, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering with honors. Block received his U.S. Navy officer's commission in May of 1978.

Contents 1 Service duty 2 Military citations 3 Family life 4 References

[edit] Service duty

• (DD-566) USS Stoddard
• USS South Carolina (CGN-37)
• USS Enterprise (CVN-65) 1979-1982 Mechanical Division Officer and Reactor Training Assistant
• Nuclear Power Training Unit, Idaho 1982-1984 Shift Engineer and Staff Training Officer
• USS Joseph Hewes (FF-1078) 1985-1987 Operations Officer
• Texas (DLGN/CGN-39) 1987-1990 Chief Engineer
• NROTC University of Michigan 1990-1992
• US Army War College 1992-1993 Officers School
• Surface warfare 1993-1995 Officers School
• USS Simpson (FFG-56) 1995-1997 Commanding Officer
• USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) 1997-1999 Nuclear Reactor Officer
• NS Great Lakes Service School Command 2002 Commanding Officer

[edit] Military citations

• Meritorious Service Medal (United States) 2 Awards
• Navy Commendation Medal 4 Awards
• Navy Good Conduct Medal 2 Awards
• NATO Medal former Yugoslavia
• National Defense Service Medal
• Armed Forces Service Medal
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

[edit] Family life

Block is married to former Bonita Lou Kempka (Bonnie) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

[edit] References

1. ^ [1] Navy Europe News Service: "USS Simpson Crew Rescues Russian Merchant Sailor," 4 January 1996, 18:26:18 (GMT), collected from the internet 4 August, 2006