After a very fulfilling 38-year Navy career, I completed a second career in the government. Now retired, I'm doing some of the other important things in life!
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A New Jersey native, after high school in 1968, I immediately enlisted in the United States Navy. Following basic training at RTC, Great Lakes, I was first assigned to USS ISLE ROYALE (AD 29) followed by the USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DDG 32) -- both home ported in Long Beach, CA. After a Viet Nam deployment, in May 1971 I was assigned to the A-6 Intruder training squadron, Attack Squadron Forty Two, at NAS Oceana, VA.
In August 1975, I reported aboard USS BORDELON (DD 881) as the Ship's Admin/Personnel petty officer in charge. After an at-sea collision with the USUAL John F. Kennedy resulting in BORDELON's decommissioning, I completed my sea rotation aboard USS SIMON LAKE (AS 33), also home ported in Charleston, SC where I was selected for Chief Petty Officer. In 1978 I was assigned to NAS, Brunswick, ME as the Asst Personnel Officer. During my enlisted career, I advanced to Senior Chief Personnelman, crossed the Equator, made several WestPac and Med deployments, and was one of the first Sailors to earn the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) designation.
After submitting three applications for a direct commission, I was selected as an Admin Limited Duty Officer (LDO) and commissioned as a new ensign, in 1980. I was immediately assigned as Ship's Secretary aboard USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC 20) home ported in Norfolk, VA. In 1982, I returned to the West Coast as OIC of PSD Lemoore, CA. From 1984 to 1992 I served several tours in Pearl Harbor, HI -- first as Executive Officer Flag Allowance, Commander THIRD Fleet on Ford Island and embarked in USS CORONADO (AGF 11); then as the Admin Officer, Commander, U.S. Pacific Airborne Command Post (ABNCP), Hickam AFB; and as the Executive Officer/Commanding Officer and Flag Secretary, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. It was during my three tours in Hawaii that I was selected for the College Degree Program (CDP) and earned my bachelors degree in Business Administration in 1988 from Chaminade University of Honolulu.
In 1992 I returned to the East Coast and was assigned as the Director of Administration in the NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Norfolk, VA. In 1996 I traveled cross-country again, this time as a geo-bachelor to Bremerton/Everett, WA aboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) as the Admin Officer. In 1998, I returned to Norfolk and was assigned as Executive Officer, Personnel Support Activity Norfolk, VA. In 2000, I received a command assignment as Commanding Officer, Personnel Support Activity, Jacksonville, FL. In 2002, I was reassigned to the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, TN as Director, Field Support Division (Pers-33/673). In May 2004, I returned to Norfolk as the Chief of Staff, Task Force Warrior (Sea Warrior project). In February 2005, I reported to my last Navy assignment as Assistant Chief of Staff of Administration/Resources and Commanding Officer Staff, at Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force in Norfolk, VA. After a fulfilling, 38-year Navy career, I retired from the Navy in 2006 and immediately began working as a consultant/senior analyst for a government contractor, C.A.C.I. where I accomplished a myriad of management projects.
In January 2012, I began the latest chapter in my career in the civil service as the Director Global Operations at the Navy Pay and Personnel Support Center, in Norfolk, VA in support of the 60 Personnel Support Detachments (PSDs) world-wide.
In February 2017, I retired from government service and beginning to write the newest chapter in my life.
A proud father of three wonderful children and a grandpa to seven adorable grand children, my wife and I currently reside in Northeast Florida. Life is Good!
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Other Memories When you're surrounded by a group of jolly ole fellows from NATO countries like Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Canada and the like, on a daily basis it's sometimes hard to keep the focus on accomplishing your mission. On one hand, there was this group of international party lovers who treasured their two to three hour lunch experience, short work days, and extended (holiday) vacations. On the other hand, there were those of us Americans in uniform who were used to 'mission first' objectives, cramming down fast food, extended work days, and relatively taking little time off. Clearly, there had to be a happy medium. I mention this because I came to understand that management by objectives and no-nonsense leadership won't always work in every environment. As the person in charge of a myriad of varied administrative duties, it became equally important to learn how to achieve consensus and make the concessions necessary to get the job done and still maintain some level of order and discipline. Fortunately, quickly learning to work issues with a NATO mind-set made my job a lot easier.
Some of the bigger initiatives I was either asked to lead or in which I played a major role were things like establishing the NATO building smoking policy; building a non-commissioned officer's mess (or cafeteria); and acting as a referee between the various international flag officers who seemed to always want more office space, equipment, bells or whistles than the other guy. It was sometimes like being a head act in the circus -- juggling a bowling ball, a flaming machete, a turkey leg, and a time bomb at the same time. There were no limits to one?s creativity, flexibility, or threshold of pain when it came to the give and take of running the NATO Norfolk show. But don't think for an instant that I didn't enjoy every blessed minute of it!
Looking back, there wasn't a command or job in which I served that allowed us to make more friends, look forward to attending more social events, or learn more about 'life after working hours' than I did at SACLANT. Sixteen times a year we honored a NATO country's customs and traditions with day-long celebrations that included special flag raising ceremonies complete with marching bands and parades; and special menus with indigenous delicacies to delight the most discriminating taste buds. Add in those fine wines and other libations made that military assignment all the more extraordinary. It was often difficult to remember that we were having so much fun and still getting the basic job done -- on U.S. soil, no less!
Sadly, all good things must come to an end and if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is, you know how difficult it was to see that tour end. But how it ended was even more difficult than anything we had ever experienced before.
To say it was going to be difficult to leave the family in Virginia is a huge understatement. After winterizing the pool, treating the deck, putting up the storm windows in place of the summer screens, and otherwise giving my wife a cram course on how to maintain the kinds of things that I inherently did inside and outside that house, my responsibilities would now be added to hers. Shortly thereafter, in October I would trade cars with her, and pack up the station wagon with all that I would need to move aboard the ship. I would then make my second solo drive across the continental U.S. in 20 years. It would take me four days of driving and five more to turnover with the officer I'd be relieving before the reality of the pros and cons of our decision began to set in. An awesome tour of tremendous highs and extraordinary shipmates -- but mixed with quite a few frustrating low points would soon be ahead.
