Brian
Region: REDCOM South • Civilian Job: Navy Reserve (FTS)
USNR Position: Commanding Officer Guided Missile Frigate • Prior Military: Navy

VERSATILITY, FLEXIBILITY, AND TALENT
Brian says he joined the Navy right out of college to fly Navy jets, but because of a severe sinus condition, he soon learned that flying would not be a possibility. “I really thought about it,” Brian recalls. “And I soon came to the conclusion that it was being an Officer in the Navy that was really important to me – more so than the flying part.”

So, being flexible, Brian next consulted with friends and fellow Officers and many suggested he become a SWO (Surface Warfare Officer). Brian looked into this and found the opportunities available to SWOs to be many and wide-ranging. SWOs are the elite group of ship drivers and ship fighters in charge of shipboard operations and activities for various platforms, including Aircraft Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers, Amphibious ships, Combat-Logistics Support ships, and Mine Sweepers.

Brian ultimately took their advice, and an illustrious Navy Reserve career began. “There were a few ways to become a SWO,” Brian explains. “The path I chose was to go into the full-time support program for the Navy Reserve – or what was called the TAR (Training and Administration of the Reserve) program back then.”

As a SWO and a member of the TAR community, Brian has had an extremely varied and successful career. While serving as Mine Countermeasures Officer and First Lieutenant in Operation Desert Storm, he earned his Combat Action Ribbon for live mine recovery operations. Other positions he has held include Engineering Officer; Executive Officer; Commanding Officer Navy Reserve Center Burlington, Vermont; Plans/Security Cooperation Officer, HQ U.S. European Command Staff in Stuttgart Germany; and most recently, he took command of a Guided Missile Frigate.

According to Brian, he has really come to appreciate the versatility, flexibility, and opportunity the Surface Warfare Program has given him. “You get to learn so much as a SWO,” he says. “The myriad of experiences and training we are exposed to is truly unique and it creates such a well-rounded Officer and person who is capable of handling and thriving in a number of situations and roles.”

Brian cites a recent example aboard his own ship to further make his point. “Our ship is preparing for an upcoming inspection, so we’ve called upon a SWO, who’s also a drilling Reservist, to help us out because of his considerable knowledge, background, and skill in engineering.”

Brian explains that he’s not the only Commanding Officer who is now readily utilizing the talents of Reservists. “We are finding now that a lot of Navy Reservists are prior service people who’ve had extensive training and long careers with the active Navy or other branches of the military,” he says. “So now Commanders are really starting to see that the Reservists often have greater talents and more experience than a number of people currently on active duty. Lately, I’ve really seen this noticeable shift where Reservists are being utilized more often and in many more more vital and substantial roles than they ever were in the past.”

Proving there is indeed a lot of talent in Navy Reserve, Brian’s personal decorations include a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, five Navy Commendation Medals, and the Navy Achievement Medal.

Brian lives in the Southern United States with his wife Elaine and their two daughters, Brianna, 11, and Maria, 7, and in his free time he likes to play tennis and golf.

Eric
Region: REDCOM Pacific • Civilian Job: Legal Director
USNR Position: Naval Flight Officer • Prior Military: Navy

TESTING YOUR METTLE
As an actor, Eric knows a great deal about character. His character, he says, was shaped and refined by the military – more specifically, by four years at the United States Naval Academy, ten years of active duty in the Navy, and approaching two years in the Navy Reserve.

Eric’s affiliation with the Navy began at Annapolis, where he played varsity football and made the Commandant’s List for three semesters. After graduation, Eric went on to fly P3 planes in the Navy, and he was later hand-selected to become an aviation Instructor, providing training in aviation skills and weapon systems. Later, Eric was singled out to serve as a Leadership Instructor, teaching classes in leadership and management to over 1,000 Officers.

According to Eric, “testing himself” and academic achievement have always been very important to him. “Along the way, I decided that I wanted to go into the JAG Corps [Judge Advocate General Corps], so I started going to law school at night,” he says. “Well, there came a point where I had to decide between finishing my degree or becoming a shooter [one of the many personnel responsible for flight deck operations] on a carrier. It was a tough decision, but I chose to separate from the Navy and continue with law school.”

Today, Eric is the director of legal development and business development for a start-up corporation. The corporation’s main focus is formalized academic testing aimed at placing others in the jobs and areas where they will be the most productive.

Although Eric does not regret his decision to pursue a career in law, he does say that, upon leaving the Navy, he almost immediately missed the military. “Fourteen years of my life after high school were all about the military. To just disconnect like that was hard. I think what I missed most was not having any contact with ‘military people.’ The friendships you make in the military are truly unique.”

Missing the military prompted Eric to join the Navy Reserve a little more than two years after he left active duty. Eric is once again a P3 pilot, serving to brief and debrief missions. His duties also involve providing mission support for Navy SEAL teams.

Whether it’s serving on active duty or in the Navy Reserve, Eric believes that the experience is invaluable. “Every day is like a true test of your character,” he says. “You’re doing things that have a real world impact. Everything you do, every day, ultimately affects the overall safety of a whole nation.”

In conjunction with his law career, Eric also pursues acting and filmmaking. He has appeared in a number of movies and television shows and has been seen in local and national ad campaigns. Eric also recently served as an associate producer for an independent feature film.

Eric lives on the West Coast.

Guy
Region: REDCOM Northeast • Civilian Job: 3D Graphic Artist
USNR Position: Intelligence Officer • Prior Military: Navy

PICTURE PERFECT WORLD
Guy’s association with the Navy began when he graduated from high school. “I joined mainly for the educational benefits and the travel,” he recalls.

Guy’s first tour of duty brought him to Washington, D.C., and put him among some very elite company. “I went straight from high school to the White House, serving as a Presidential Support Honor Guardsman,” he says.

Having excelled in the Honor Guard, Guy was guaranteed any school he wanted, as long as he qualified. “Growing up, I always loved photography, so I chose Photographer’s Mate School in Pensacola, Florida.” Guy was accepted by the school, and two prolific careers (one military and one civilian) were born. According to Guy, “I owe everything I am today to the Navy and the Navy Reserve.” Today, Guy works as a 3D graphic artist, photographer, and video producer in his civilian life, and he serves as an Intelligence Officer in the Navy Reserve.

Upon separating from the Navy after his first tour, Guy remained true to his plan and utilized his educational benefits to obtain a degree in journalism. Soon after graduation, Guy landed a highly sought-after position as a broadcast video producer and editor for a network-affiliated TV station. “It was because of my work in the Navy that I got the job,” he says. “They said because I was a Navy Photographer’s Mate, they didn’t even need to see a demo tape.”

After gaining his degree, Guy also decided to become an Officer in the Navy Reserve. “I loved to travel in the Navy, and I knew I could do this in the Reserve as well. It was also a chance to do highly important work for my country and experience opportunities that not that many people get to experience.” Guy applied for and received his commission as an Intelligence Officer.

Since joining the Navy Reserve, Guy has traveled all over the world. His duties have taken him to Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Germany, and the U.K., and he recently returned from France, where he served as the Naval Attaché Officer for the Paris Air Show.

Guy’s background in broadcast, video, and photography has served him and the Navy well in the Reserve. In the past few years, he has been called upon to direct and produce several training films and documentaries for the Navy. His latest venture is a look back at 60 years of Naval Intelligence.

In his spare time, Guy likes to pursue independent filmmaking. He also enjoys fencing and spending time with his wife Laurie and their baby daughter, Ashley.

Guy lives in the Northeast United States.

Jeff
Region: REDCOM Pacific • Civilian Job: Air Transport Pilot
USNR Position: F-18 Pilot • Prior Military: Navy

DESTINATION: NAVY RESERVE
“I still wanted the challenge, excitement, and fulfillment that serving my country and flying jets in the Navy gave me, so within two weeks of leaving active duty, I was in the Navy Reserve.” Jeff lists his growing family as the main motivator for making this move. “After 11 years active and three cruises within six years, it was just time to settle down in one place,” he says.

In the Navy, Jeff served as a Lieutenant and an F-18 pilot. In the Navy Reserve, Jeff sees double duty as an F-18 pilot and his squadron’s Public Affairs Officer. He has also been subsequently promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

Jeff admits that he didn’t know exactly what to expect in the Navy Reserve. “I think that my impression of the Reserve, especially early in my Navy career, was just ‘weekend warriors’ – that they didn’t do that much - but I have since learned that I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Jeff recalls a recent Navy Reserve assignment to illustrate his point. “I was made OIC (Officer In Charge) for a particular detachment of our squadron not too long ago and I found that to be extremely rewarding. As OIC, I was pretty much responsible for everything the detachment was doing for that two-week period. I planned everything myself. I made sure all the pilots knew what their objectives were. I coordinated the airspace. And I scheduled all the target ranges and the low-level routes. I found all the responsibility and autonomy that I had to be very gratifying and not something I would have experienced if I was still on active duty.”

According to Jeff, the unique setup and structure of the Navy Reserve has afforded him many unexpected perks. Take flying, for example: Jeff says that he spends more time in the air now than he ever did when he was on active duty. This is because, upon leaving active duty (thanks, in large part, to his military background), Jeff was able to secure a highly sought-after captain’s position flying for a major transportation services company. And in the Reserve, because of their limited service time, Reservists receive priority over their active duty counterparts when it comes to flying time.

“Another surprising aspect about the Navy Reserve is the level of camaraderie I enjoy,” says Jeff. “Everyone hears about all the great bonds and friendships you make in the Navy, and it’s true, you do. But, in my time with the Navy Reserve, I’ve found the camaraderie that exists in our squadron is much greater than I ever experienced when I was active.”

Again, this has to do with the unique make up of the Navy Reserve. “In the Navy Reserve, people tend to stay together more,” Jeff explains. “So, even though we’re not together all the time, when we are together, it’s as a cohesive group. On the active side, it seems people are moving in and out faster and not staying together as long.”

When Jeff is not spending time with his squadron, he enjoys spending it with his wife Laurie and their two kids, Brittany, 15, and Ashton, 7. In his spare time, Jeff says he likes to work out and take his family on minivacations, preferably to the beach.

Jeff lives on the West Coast.