NARA: 6611254

A general manager with Americas Commercial & State Transportation Group’s Los Angeles Express Lanes Program, Captain David Schnell is a former U.S. Navy officer who retired with honors in 2010. Before his retirement from the Navy, Captain David Schnell was the commanding officer aboard the USS Peleliu, an amphibious assault ship set to decommission at the end of March 2015. Originally commissioned in 1980 and crafted from 40,000 tons of steel, the USS Peleliu is the fifth vessel in the TARAWA class of amphibious assault ships, designed for high combat capability. Throughout its 35 years in commission, the ship primarily provided support and transport to U.S. Marines within the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and served as the flagship for the PELELIU Expeditionary Strike Group. Additionally, it was deployed in 2008 to support the Global War on Terrorism by forming international relationships with various foreign forces through joint military exercises. A significant moment in its history consists of its role in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom following the events of September 11, 2011. During the missions, it deployed the first team of Marines for Afghanistan operations. The ship’s decommission ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on March 31, 2015, at the Naval Base San Diego’s Pier No. 7. After the ceremony, it will be moved to Pearl Harbor and added to the reserve fleet.