Comments:
I live in Virginia Beach with my wife, Ana.
I'm in my nineteenth year of service in the Navy. I'm a Senior Chief Petty Officer Electrician's Mate. My warfare area is Surface Warfare.
I'm currently on shore duty at Little Creek as an instructor at the Navy's only Underway Replenishment training facility and am qualified as a Master Training Specialist. I am also the Command Training Officer.
At our school, we train Sailors how to transfer fuel between two ships as they go through the water at 10 knots in any sea condition, day or night, safely at flow rates from 3000 to 12,000 gallons per minute. The purpose is to keep ships at sea ready to fight without pause to operation. We also teach forklift operations, fuel probe maintenance, we train Sailors to drive rigid hull inflatable boats (zodiac's) and we offer two schools for junior Boatswain's Mates. BM's or “Boatswain's Mates” translated from old nautical vernacular means "The Ship's Husband". They do on the ship which is most traditional for Sailors to do. Without their expertise and rare skills, it would be unlikely for a warship to be successful in anything it attempted to accomplish. To be a part of their training and contributor to their heritage is a rare honor and it motivates me every day to know that I can make a difference in making the Navy a better and stronger force by providing training to these true professionals.
I've tried my best to diversify my career. Here is a list of ships I have served on and occupations I have mastered:
USS WISCONSIN (BB 64) a WWII battleship.
I did my first deployment here, 8 months in Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
USS PRESERVER (ARS 8) a WWII rescue and salvage ship.
USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) a modern amphibious warfare dock/ landing ship.
I did a Mediterranean deployment here.
USS WATERFORD (ARD 5) a WWII floating drydock
qualified as a crane operator here performing lifts on and around nuclear submarines.
NSSF NEW LONDON
qualified as a Rubber and Plastics Technician performing very specialized repairs and fabrications on nuclear submarines.
qualified to work in a nuclear environment and as a Quality Assurance Inspector.
USS THUNDERBOLT (PC 12) a coastal patrol vessel, smallest ship in the Navy with a crew of 27. at the time it was in direct support of Special Warfare and we trained to assist the SEALs in insertions and extractions in low to medium threat environments.
I completed two deployments here. One in Europe and Africa, the second in Port Galveston in support of the emerging War on Terror.
qualified as an Engineering Officer of the Watch, work on diesel propulsion engines, boarding teams, boat driver, combat craft driver, qualified in the use of several weapons, qualified in all deck operations and a few other things.
USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) a modern guided missile destroyer. I spent only 7 months here leading the electrical shop, then was asked to take a more challenging assignment.
USS ELROD (FFG 55) a modern guided missile frigate.
I spent a year here leading the electrical shop and was selected to become a Chief Petty Officer. I did a Mediterranean deployment here.
USS ANZIO (CG 68) a modern guided missile cruiser.
I volunteered to stay at sea two more years far beyond my sea/shore rotation to serve as a Chief at sea in the electrical shop. I did a Persian Gulf deployment here.
CENTER FOR SURFACE COMBAT SYSTEMS, my current duty station.
I qualified as an instructor and Master Training Specialist.
Go Navy!
