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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Navy Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
LTJG Chip LeDuff U.S. Navy (2004-Present)
PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY?
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| Recruit Photo - June 2004 |
Before the September 11th, 2001 attacks, I decided that I wanted to join the Navy. I was a senior at Centenary College of Louisiana. While the rest of my friends were applying to grad school and getting jobs lined up for graduation, the only thing I could think about was needing a break from school and not wanting a monotonous desk job. Thoughts of joining the Navy satisfied both of those needs. When September 11th rolled around and America was shaken by what happened, I too was shaken. I questioned whether or not it was really a smart decision to join the military, but I've always been someone who, perhaps sometimes foolishly, gets focused on an idea until its completion. Joining the Navy was no different, and I haven't regretted my decision since I joined. My parents were not fans of the decision, but after seeing me graduate from Recruit Training Command in the summer of 2004, I believe they were proud of me and of my decision to serve.
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| Pediatric Nursing |
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
I was looking for a computer related job, so I asked the recruiter about Information Technology career paths. He told me that none were available. With my ASVAB score, I qualified for just about anything I wanted. He offered me a job as a Hospital Corpsman. In my mind, as the job title suggests, I imagined working in a hospital. Little did I know that going to Field Medical Service School was a possibility that would soon become part of my career path. After serving as a Field Medical Service Technician and deploying with the Marine Corps, I learned about the Navy's Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP). The Navy sent me to nursing school for 3 years. After graduation, I began working on the Inpatient Pediatrics Unit at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. After working there for 14 months, I transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In August of this year, I will be attending school again through the Navy's Duty Under Instruction (DUINS) Program. The Navy is sending me to school to be a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). I feel extremely fortunate for everything that my naval career has provided me.
IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT, PEACEKEEPING OR HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.
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| Fallujah, Iraq - 2005 |
I deployed to Al Anbar Province, Fallujah, Iraq in March of 2005 for a 12 month deployment. My entire deployment was spent with 2d Marine Division, 8th Marine Regiment, Headquarters Company, Regimental Aid Station. We were there for government official elections as well as the elections where the Iraqi people voted on their constitution. As part of the Regimental Aid Station, we were the medical coverage for the Marine Corps. We also made sure that the volunteers for the Iraqi Army and Police Battalions were physically capable of beginning those training programs. The most significant part of the deployment was training the Iraqi Army in first-aid techniques. The bond of being a warrior is very strong - even between service members of different countries. Making those connections in a place foreign to me was very impactful and made me feel like what I was doing was important.
OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
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| Benjamin and Lawrence Bear - Brothers |
My fondest memories are from my duty station in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP). The reason for this is that both of our children were born into this NICU. We lost our first son in the NICU at NMCP before I started working there. The nurses and doctors really cared for us and made an unbearable situation bearable. Inpatient Pediatrics taught me how to be a nurse. The NICU taught me how to be a specialized nurse. I am thankful for both opportunities at NMCP. I don't have a least favorite duty station. I learned a great deal at each one and feel very fortunate for each opportunity.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE, INCLUDING COMBAT, DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL MEMORIES WHICH HAVE IMPACTED YOU MOST?
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| Commissioning |
The memory that stands out the most to me was when I learned of being accepted into the Navy's Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP). Even before being accepted, I hadn't had a moment where I thought I would leave the Navy before 20 years. Being accepted into this program solidified the United States Navy as "my career". I was accepted in 2007. The same year that the original iPhone came out. I was on leave in Shreveport, LA and my brother had recently gotten the iPhone. I was thinking about whether or not the results had come out and asked my brother is I could use his phone to check the NPC website for the MECP results. I just had a feeling they would be out as I was walking around Wilson's Leather with my parents and brother. In the typical impersonal fashion of the military, there on the site was my last name, first initial, and last 4 of my SSN. I will forever associate the smell of leather with my Navy career.
WHAT ACHIEVEMENT(S) ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
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| Nurse Corps |
To date, my proud achievement is being selected to attend school for a doctorate in nursing. The educational programs that the Navy offers are very competitive. There are some brilliant people competing for these spots, so to be selected is a significant achievement. I'm also very fortunate to have advanced to Green Belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Not even all of the Marines advance in this program, so to be a Sailor and have this opportunity to participate in this program was especially meaningful and worth every shoulder roll, joint manipulation, and pugil stick bout.
OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, QUALIFICATION BADGES OR DEVICES YOU RECEIVED, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE ONE(S) MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
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| Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare |
The achievement that I am most proud of is my Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare pin. I earned it while on my deployment to Fallujah, Iraq in 2005. Serving along side the few and the proud is not something all Sailors get to do. Being able to learn about Marine Corps history and traditions, weapons and weapon systems, vehicles, combat tactics, artillery, and logistics is a unique opportunity. Not all Sailors stationed with the Marines get their pin, so amongst the Sailors who are eligible, it's an exclusive group who finish the requirements. While this pin can be earned on shore, earning it on a deployment was much more fulfilling to me. When learning about Marine Corps artillery, you gain a certain appreciation for lifting a 100 pound round with a fellow Marine and loading it into the Howitzer to fire in combat that you can't gain when just reading about it in the PQS book. Being prior enlisted, the item on my uniform of which I am most proud is my silver FMF pin.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Darrell Gibson (ret.) was my first dose of Navy leadership. While I have been blessed with a myriad of amazing leaders in my career, HMCS Gibson will likely hold this spot for the duration. Having been a Marine for four years before switching to the Navy for an impressive 26 year career, he was the perfect person to learn from and to deploy with. HMCS Gibson was saltier than the sea itself. He had a quiet demeanor that commanded respect when he walked in the room. Everyone knew him. Command Master Chief Williamson called him "Gibby". We dared not think about trying that. I think we were lucky to get away with just "Senior". He left with the advanced party at the start of the deployment - about three weeks earlier than the rest of us. From the moment he got in country, he was sending us pictures of him out on patrols being the medical coverage - definitely not in the job description of a Senior Chief.
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| HMCS Darrell Gibson (ret.) (left) |
Senior knew that I wanted to advance as an officer in my career. He never gave me grief about it as some higher ranking enlisted folks do. He just told me to never forget where I came from. I haven't, and I won't. In a similar respect, HMC Philip Misciagno advised me with something very similar. "Always be the same guy". No matter how far up the ladder you climb, if you're always who you were, you'll never have a problem. Senior Chief's retirement time came before the end of the deployment. He had to leave us before it was time to come home. He told us that he never had to leave his men before. It was a very emotional time for everyone. Just before he left Fallujah, he gave me his watch cap, camo poncho, jacket liner, and medical bag that has a black spray painted FMF pin on it. Spray painted, obviously, so that the reflection on the metal doesn't attract the attention of the enemy. These are some of my most cherish military possessions. Fortunately, we were able to attend his retirement ceremony. His dress white uniform hangs next to those of other fine warriors at the Field Medical Training Battalion Schoolhouse on the east coast.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
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| Hard Times |
For some reason, the server for all the computers for Headquarters Company was housed in the Navy RAS. Why it wasn't housed in Marine Corps COMM, I guess we'll never know. But this pile of jumbled wires connected everything to the server was in the middle of the front door to the RAS. Well, that's UNSAT. Me and a couple buddies decided to take it upon ourselves to fix the problem by shortening, splicing, and organizing the wires. It was a pretty involved and dirty project, but we had fun and the wires looked a lot better after we were done.
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
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| ODS Graduation |
I've been in the Navy for eleven years now and have no plans of leaving. They will likely have to kick me out and tell me, "Okay old man...it's time to retire." My previous job as Hospital Corpsman was incredible, and if I couldn't do what I'm doing now, I would go back to it in a heartbeat. I was Field Medical Medical Service Technician, NEC 8404. My current occupational specialty is Nurse Corps Officer. I hold the sub-specialty codes of 1922 (Pediatrics) and 1964 (Neonatal Intensive Care). Being a Navy nurse has is one of the most rewarding things that I can imagine doing. Our service members defend our freedoms daily. Being able to take care of their families - and specifically for me, their children - is a great honor. I feel very fortunate to not only be a nurse - but a Navy Nurse Corps Officer.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
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| VFW |
I have a lifetime membership to the VFW, but I have yet to truly explore this organization. My current status is Member At Large. If anyone has any insight on membership, I would love to hear about your experience. I will be moving to Durham, NC in August and would love to participate there.
The bonds and brother/sisterhoods formed during deployment and wartime are strong. Unfortunately, due to the nature of our service, we frequently part ways. Since my next duty station is a school command with a smaller military presence than the one where I currently reside, I'm hoping to find a strong military community through the VFW there. I'm looking forward to building new friendships as well as learning from other veterans with different experiences and outlooks than my own. I'm also always looking for advice and experience to add to the rest of my career and to pass on to others than I mentor. We always have something to learn and to teach. It's what makes our organizations so great.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER?
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| Scouting/US Military |
Having been in Scouting since the age of 6, I was fairly well suited to a structured way of life. Learning leadership skill, physical fitness, and self-sufficiency were started at an early age. Perhaps this is why I felt comfortable with a military career choice. Military service has definitely boosted my confidence. Being in the military has taught me how to prioritize, work in teams and groups, think quickly when necessary, and most importantly how to lead and how to follow. While there is always structure to a military life, it's also a lost of flexibility and constant change. Adaptability is a required trait for military service. With deployments, frequent changes of station, and many aspects of an assigned job, it's a strange mix of structure and flux. This lifestyle definitely make one capable of handling a variety of situations.
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE NAVY?
1.) It gets better. Yes yes, I know you hate it if you've just joined. But stick with it. It will get better. Even the crappy jobs that you think are below your pay grade, despite you being an E-1, are important and necessary. Moving out of those menial jobs
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| Stay True |
can often times be just the motivation you need to study for your advancement exams and move up in rank. Then, you can be the leadership to others that you wish you had.
2.) Always live and spend money as if you were a pay grade below what you really are. Don't overspend. And don't spend all your deployment money when you get back. Put it in the Desert Storm Savings Deposit Program (SDP).
3.) Learn all that you can from the best leaders you have. Learn just as much from the worst leaders you have. Add both things to your toolbox.
4.) Do not keep information to yourself. The Navy is the worst about that. You've already earned your rank, and no one can take that away from you. Always watch one, do one, teach one.
5.) Don't slack on PT. Work on the run. It's what Sailors fail the most.
6.) If you're interested in officer programs, start early. You can't start planning too early for this. I've been on both sides, and it's not too bad here on "the dark side".
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
My deployment started over 10 years ago now. Together We Served has assisted me in remaining connected with my Navy and Marine Corps brothers and sisters where I otherwise may have lost touch with them. We are actually in talks of having a 10 year deployment reunion at Tun Tavern.
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| TWS and the US Navy |
This might not have been possible without Together We Served.
Together We Served has allowed me to separate my military friends from the sea of people involved in other social media. With moving around so much, it's hard to keep up with everyone, and TWS let's me keep up with them no matter where we are in the world. The changes to TWS over the years have been wonderful. I'm looking forward to what's coming next. One of my favorite aspects of TWS is the Shadow Box. If you keep it updated, it will be a really great guide to the layout of a physical shadow box for retirement. Being able to share the Shadow Box with non-military friends and family is also a wonderful way to keep them engaged in what you're doing and something they don't get to see very often. A 20 year military career is a long time, and it's hard sometimes to document everything that happens during it. Together We Served is making this task MUCH easier.
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact TWS Voices HERE.
This edition of Navy Voices was supported by:
Navy.Togetherweserved.com
For current and former serving Members of the United States Navy, TogetherWeServed is a unique, feature-rich resource enabling Naval personnel to re-connect with lost Shipmates, share memories and tell their Navy story.
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