Paul X. Rinn

Infobox Military Person
name=Paul X. Rinn
born= birth year and age|1946
died=
placeofbirth=The Bronx, New York City
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=CDR Paul X. Rinn, USN at the commissioning of USS "Samuel B. Roberts"
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
serviceyears=1968-1997
rank= Captain
branch= United States Navy
commands= USS|Samuel B. Roberts|FFG-58 USS|Leyte Gulf|CG-55
unit=
battles=Vietnam War Tanker War
awards=Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Joint Service Commendation Medal Navy Commendation Medal Navy Achievement Medal John Paul Jones Leadership Award
relations=Wife: Pamela, and at least three children.
laterwork=
Captain Paul X. Rinn, USN (Ret.), was the first Commanding officer of the USS|Samuel B. Roberts|FFG-58 and was in command when the ship struck a mine in the Persian Gulf on April 14, 1988.cite book
author=Peniston, Bradley
title= [http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor No Higher Honor: Saving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in the Persian Gulf] |location=Annapolis |publisher=Naval Institute Press
year=2006
id=ISBN 1-59114-661-5]

Background

Rinn was born in the Bronx in 1946. His father was a law school graduate and his mother was a grade school teacher. His older brother Greg was also a naval officer and inspired Rinn to follow in his footsteps. He attended an an all-boys Roman Catholic high school in the Bronx Mount Saint Michael Academy graduating in 1964. He then attended Marist Collegegraduating in 1968.

Career

Rinn received his commission in 1968 through the navy's Reserve Officer Candidate program. He served on USS|Sarsfield|DD-837, a sclass|Gearing|destroyer more than 20 years old at the time. In the early 1970s, Rinn worked as a counter insurgency adviser and military trainer along the Mekong River and was involved in combat on land. He was the weapons officer on USS|Blakely|FF-1072, a sclass|Knox|frigate. He graduated from the Naval War College with distinction in 1981. He then served as executive officer on USS|Bowen|FF-1079, another "Knox"- class frigate. Rinn was chief staff officer of Destroyer Squadron 36.

As a Commander, he was selected to command "Samuel B. Roberts" and was involved in her construction at Bath Iron Works as early as fall 1984. She was commissioned April 12, 1986 with Rinn commanding. Only months after the mining of FFG-58, he turned over "Samuel B. Roberts" to CDR John Townes III on June 20, 1988 at the end of his tour as previously planned.

Following his tour on "Samuel B. Roberts", he headed up the navy's ship survivability program. Later, he was promoted to Captain and served as an assistant to the navy's surface warfare chief. In 1994 he commanded USS|Leyte Gulf|CG-55, a sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser named for the battle in which USS|Samuel B. Roberts|DE-413 was sunk. He deployed to the Persian Gulf on "Leyte Gulf" and received the United States Navy League's John Paul Jones Leadership Award. Following his tour on CG-55, he served as special assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. After being passed over twice for promotion to Rear Admiral, Rinn retired in 1997. He then took an executive position at a consulting firm in the Washington D.C. area.

ee also

References

Further reading

*cite book
author=Peniston, Bradley
title= [http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor No Higher Honor: Saving the USS "Samuel B. Roberts" in the Persian Gulf] |location=Annapolis |publisher=Naval Institute Press
year=2006
id=ISBN 1-59114-661-5