The White Falcon - 12.10.1990, Page 3

J^Jew skipper for PATRON KEF
Cmdr. Rush E. Baker, m, will relieve
rCmdr. Rush E. Baker, HI, will relieve
Cmdr. C. Max Lindner, HI, as Commanding
Officer, Patrol Squadron Fifty-Six (VP 56),
during a formal change of command cere-
mony scheduled for 10 a.m. today in Hangar
831. Cmdr. Baker will assume the responsi-
bilities as “Skipper” of VP 56 after having
served as the squadron’s Executive Officer
since Oct. 6, 1989. Cmdr. Lindner departs
Iceland en route to attend the Naval War
College, Newport, R.I.
Rear Adm. Jon S. Coleman, Director, Avia-
tion Manpower and Training Division (OP-
59), office of the Assistant Chief of Naval
Operations (Air Warfare), will be the guest
speaker for the ceremony.
“The squadron’s primary asset is people. I
consider it a priviledge to become the com-
manding officer of VP 56. We recognize that
we are visitors here in Iceland and we want to
present ourselves with the best possible im-
age. Every sector of the community has wel-
comed us here and that makes our deployment
so much more enjoyable,” stated Cmdr. Baker.
Cmdr. Rush E. Baker, HI
A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Cmdr.
Baker graduated from the University of Ten-
see in June 1973, having earned a bachelor
degree in mathematics and a commis-
n through the university’s NROTC unit.
Upon completion of training, he was desig-
nated as a Naval Flight Officer in June 1974.
Cmdr. Baker’s initial operational assign-
ment was with Patrol Squadron Nineteen (VP
19) based at Naval Air Station, Moffett Field,
Calif., serving as both Tactics Officer and
Quality Assurance Officer and completing
deployments to the Republic of the Philip-
pines and to Adak, Alaska.
In March 1978, he reported to Air Test and
Evaluation Squadron One (VX 1), Naval Air
Station, Patuxent River, Md., where he served
as Advanced Projects Test Coordinator and as
the squadron’s Legal Officer. During this tour
Cmdr. Rush E. Baker, HI
Cmdr. C. Max Lindner, IH
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he earned a master of science degree in ad-
ministration from George Washington Uni-
versity, Washington, D.C.
Cmdr. Baker reported aboard USS America
(CV 66), homeported in Norfolk, Va., in
September 1978 as the Assistant Ship’s Navi-
gator, qualifying as an Officer of the Deck
(Underway) and earning the additional duty
qualification as a Surface Warfare Officer. In
August 1982, he was reassigned to the Naval
Military Personnel Command, Washington,
D.C. where he served in the Aviation Officer
Distribution Division as the Carrier (CV)
Placement Officer.
In November 1984, Cmdr. Baker reported
to Patrol Squadron T wenty-Four (VP 24) based
at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla., serv-
ing his department head tour as Training Offi-
cer and Operations Officer and deploying with
the squadron to Bermuda and to Sigonella,
Sicily. In July 1987, he reported for perma-
nent duty to S igonella as the Officer-in-Charge,
Antisubmarine Warfare Operations Center.
Following this tour, Cmdr. Baker reported to
VP 56 to assume duties as the Executive Offi-
cer.
In addition to various meritorious unit
commendations, service ribbons andcampaign
medals, Cmdr. Baker has been awarded the
Meritorious Service Medal and two awards of
the Navy Commendation Medal. He is mar-
ried to the former Marilyn Chapman Roberts
of Chattanooga, Tenn. They have three chil-
dren: Allison, Rush IV and Kari.
Some facts about fire safety in the home
The Naval Air Station’s annual observance
of Fire Prevention Week comes to a close
tomorrow.
You can reduce the danger of fire in your
home drastically by taking a fire safety tour of
your home right now, looking for fire hazards.
Before starting your fire safety tour, you should
understand the major causes of fires in living
quarters over the past years: smoking habits;
caving cooking unattended; children playing
matches or lighters; and arson.
Protect young children from fire!
Children under age 6 have more than twice
the risk of dying in house fires as the general
population. Roughly three in 10 of these
deaths involve children playing with some
dangerous material, typically matches or light-
ers; but heating-related fires, arson and sus-
October 12,1990
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pected arson are also important causes. More
than 90 percent of the victims were either
asleep or too young to react effectively to the
threat of fire.
Practice exit drills in the home!
While three-fourths of U. S. homes now
have detectors, a detector only warns you of
fire; it cannot save you unless you know how
to use the early warning to escape. Half of the
households without detectors have never
worked out an escape plan and neither have a
third of the households with detectors. And
most of those with plans have never rehearsed
them. You need to know how to escape - and
exit drills are the answer.
Reduce smoking fires!
Smoking-related fires are by far the leading
cause of deaths in fires. In 1987, roughly
1,700 persons died in fires involving smoking
materials. In building fires, smoking materials
accounted for one-third of all fire deaths with
known cause. Upholstered furniture, mat-
tresses and bedding were items most often
ignited in these fatal fires. Careless handling
of smoking material is deadly.
Prevent cooking and other kitchen fires!
Each year the U. S. averages more than one
home structure fire for every four households
and three-fourths of these are kitchen fires,
most never reported to fire departments. That
amounts to about 17 million kitchen fires a
year. Fire safety begins with the most com-
mon fires — and they can be prevented.
Armed with the right information, you can
meet these needs, taking an active role in pre-
venting fires in your home.