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!
Immediately after graduating from high school, I enlisted in the Navy at MEPS in Newark, NJ. After swearing in, I was off to Great Lakes, Illinois for recruit training -- better known as boot camp. It was a continuous lesson in disciplines -- self discipline as well as team discipline. From the time I got off the bus and began "in processing," everything I thought I knew only served to get in the way of the new things I needed to learn how to do the NAVY WAY. And learn them you would, or else. Once you were issued your military gear and immediately mailed home your personal belongings, you were told what to do and when to do it. Life as you knew it was over. From the time you were awakened (reville) to the time you were ordered to put the lights out (taps), you were provided the basic and ONLY expectable way to conduct yourself. There was no individualism or variants of the RIGHT way to do things. Your hair cuts took less than one minute. (So much for the crew cut I got a few days before I enlisted.) Food served was eaten -- be it good, bad or ugly. You got your physical/dental exam, and all your immunizations at once. You learned how to march; how to wash; how to improvise; how to clean places you never even touched before with little more than a toothbrush -- YOUR toothbrush. You learned how to hand-wash, dry, fold and properly stow your government issued clothing to inspection standards. You were issued a training rifle (a piece) and taught how to hold, handle and drill with it. If you failed to take proper care of your piece, you'd end up sleeping with it. Well, that is after you were given some special after-hour extra military instruction, affectionately called "happy hour." Believe me; you did NOT want to earn enough demerits to learn how to drill with the Marines at happy hour.
You were trained to fight -- fighting incredible fires, gas or chemical -- even survive nuclear attacks. You learned how to accurately fire hand weapons and everything else to control damage to your ship and save your shipmates' and your own life. If you joined overweight, you left at least 10-15 pounds lighter and fitter. If you came in thin and lame, you left 10-15 pounds fitter -- not fatter. You learned to honor, trust and blindly obey those placed in charge of training/leading you. When told to jump, the only question you dared ask was, "how high?" Above all, you learned that you as one individual were only as strong as the combined strength of everyone in your unit. There was no room for a shipmate to fall behind. If he did, you were all left behind. To win meant everyone winning. And it was your job to help those who could not help themselves. Needless to say, I enjoyed the overall boot camp experience -- especially those early "life lessons" I was taught. They would come in handy as I matured in the Navy. But there were some who did not make the adjustments. Those who could not check their egos, suppress their inner child, grow up, or adjust to the exacting regimen were either pushed back weeks in training or discharged.
I'll have to admit, from my rather wild past and impetuous demeanor, I had a few personal adjustments of my own to make in order to fit in. Had I tried to dig in and be that street kid who had enlisted a few weeks earlier, I would have not passed muster -- would not have graduated with my company. The vast majority of us learned the team concept quickly and we gelled despite our varied backgrounds, upbringing, and beliefs. In fact we all did so well, our Company #578 was awarded the honor of graduating as the "color company" -- the best unit in every area of training, sportsmanship and discipline. Although it was certainly no 'piece of cake,' in the end we all acted, looked, and thought as one.
After all we went through together, it seemed a shame we had orders to different ships, stations and squadrons. However, closely bonding with shipmates and eventually leaving them as lifelong friends was something I'd learn would be repeated over and over again in a military career. Although apart in distance and time; there are many who will never be lost from my heart and mind.
So, after a little Rest and Relaxation (R&R) leave at home, I was off to my first ship, the USS ISLE ROYALE (AD 29), docked (homeported) in Long Beach, California. At this point I was quite anxious to see how my initial positive training experience would compare to my first official assignment aboard a ship. I would soon be 'haze gray and underway.'