Naval Security Group Command (NSGC) Detachment Potomac March 1989 – March 1992
I finally arrived home. I mentioned my “Freedom Flight” in another article. We left Adak on time and stopped briefly on Shimya Island before arriving in Anchorage — only to get stranded for a day because of storms in the States.
The home was not the one I left eighteen months before. My wife moved us from the ‘B’ side of the duplex on Falconer Court to the ‘A’ side. FT Meade was remodeling the duplexes, and it had become time to update ours. I needed a day or so to adjust to the reversed layout of the rooms.
After a brief leave period, I drove to my new assignment at ‘Detachment Potomac.’ The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) provided the building housing my command’s ‘headquarters’, my new work center, and part of the Classic Wizard Support Group. My drive from our house was between fifty minutes and what seemed forever. The first few times, my drive went quickly, and I felt it wasn’t so bad. My impression would soon change.
Then, Maryland began improving I-295 by putting in gutters with drain openings. It resulted in lane closures, making my drives outside of rush hours much longer. The commute to work remained reasonable since I came to work before the heart of rush hour, but the ride home was a hit or miss depending on when I left work. Unfortunately, the construction went on for several years, but I accepted it as part of the job.
When I arrived at NRL, the staff consisted of a commanding officer, a senior chief, and two petty officers. The officer selected to be our executive officer hadn’t reported yet. I wondered about a staff this size being headed by a Navy captain. Soon I had the answer. Detachment Potomac also included the NSA’s Mission Operations Support Center (MOSC).
My role was as the command’s Electronic Material Officer (EMO.) Instead of managing maintenance workshops, I had a nebulous role in the Classic Wizard program. The role wasn’t defined when I arrived, and I was told to determine it.
The program office at NRL supported the Wizard equipment at the field sites, and I would support it while being separate in the command structure.
Soon, I attended planning briefings, coordinated with field sites for program support, and supported the Maine training site. I did these in addition to spending time learning about the MOSC. Spending time at the MOSC paid off when I managed the creation of the workspace for the Integrated Broadcast Service Support Office (IBSSO) years after retiring from the Navy.
The woman who was Classic Wizard Division Officer in Adak, Alaska, received orders to the Classic Wizard support group (not part of Detachment Potomac.) She was in the communications division. She came to me one day, asking if I would start attending system development meetings at several contractor sites. The program was developing the follow-on system, and she wanted my input. Also, I needed to keep abreast of the plans to prepare sites for the upgrades. My Captain agreed with her proposal, and I had more things on my plate.
I began a hectic travel schedule. Once a month, I would fly out on Monday to Dallas and attend a meeting the next day. After the Tuesday meeting, I would fly to Las Angeles for a Wednesday meeting. Then, I flew to San Francisco for a Thursday meeting. I got to stay over the night and fly home Friday morning—the weekend after these trips was time to rest.
On another week, monthly, I would drive to State College, Pennsylvania, for a meeting. This was an early morning drive up, followed by a meeting, and driving home in the evening.
Besides these, I made several trips to Bangor, Maine, to the Classic Wizard Training Facility. This facility trained the maintenance technicians and I had input regarding this training.
I would drive to Maine instead of flying. I could drive there in about twelve hours, and my travel orders allowed a travel day. Driving was less expensive than flying, so my executive officer allowed me to travel by car. On most trips, I would bring home fresh lobsters for my wife and others, one of the benefits of driving.
I was in Maine evaluating the installation of some antenna systems when I was ordered to return immediately to Detachment Potomac. I arrived home late afternoon, ready to report to the work center the following day.
I went out for something (don’t remember what) about 8 PM. When I got back, my wife told me that the United States and its allies were attacking Iraq. This was the start of Desert Storm, and we watched missiles flying in Baghdad and the subsequent explosions.
My Captain knew the war was about to start and wanted me back quickly to be available since I coordinated support to the field sites. None of us knew how long the war would last or what the sites might need. As it turned out, I had no support issues during Desert Storm.
My role in attending the planning meetings and travel remained consistent.
Now it was fall 1991, and I was up for orders. The conversation with my placement officer/detailer was not going well. Remember that I was short-toured from Ft Meade to Adak with a promise I would be returned to Ft Meade. That didn’t happen. Instead, I was at Detachment Potomac.
The placement officer wanted to send me to Japan for an EMO tour. Should I accept these orders, my wife said she would not go with me. I told the detailer I had been in the Navy for twenty-five years, and a tour to Japan would be my last before retiring. It would be too challenging to plan my transition from there, so NO.
Then, he said the only other option was in the 40 Department at Naval Security Group Command on Nebraska Avenue, Washington, DC. I called the officer I would replace and learned he traveled forty weeks a year. I could expect the same, so NO.
I reminded him that I was promised to return to the NSA after Adak and took Detachment Potomac as a favor to another warrant officer. He could send me to one of the many junior officer’s billets at the NSA. I had filled one before and knew there were many open billets there. He refused to grant my request, continuing to plan for me to go to Nebraska Avenue.
Finally, I took it no longer. In November 1991, I had my administrative assistant prepare my request to retire on March 1, 1992. With the request made, I sent resumes to the companies working on the Classic Wizard project.
As it occurred, I was optimistic the request would be approved. I waited but heard nothing for several days. Finally, I contacted a warrant I knew who worked for the Admiral who had to approve my request. He denied having seen it, so I had it resent by my admin staff. Surprise. A day or two later, my request was approved and sent to my placement officer. Now, I had to become aggressive in seeking a job.
I was concerned when I did not receive a response to the resumes, and it was the second week of December. Remember that we still lived in the quarters on FT Meade and would have to move once I retired. Where I got a job would play into where I would rent or buy.
One day, I was talking with a friend who worked in the communications support group. I mentioned my frustration with not hearing from anyone regarding a job. He asked when I would retire, and I told him.
Later that day, he told me a man he knew wanted to talk to me the next morning about a job. So, John and I met the next day. I listened to his offer, negotiated a salary, and signed on as employee four on the NEWLINK payroll.
A job opened that allowed us to relocate from our place on FT Meade. The children wanted to remain in the same school system, so we bought a house in Hanover, Maryland. Thirty-two years later, it is still home to my wife and me.
My official retirement date is 1 March 1992, but my retirement ceremony was on the last day of January 1992. That is the day I started my next life phase as a NEWLINK employee providing contractual services.
One further thought. Remember, the placement officer gave me only two options for my next assignment. Well, he was at my retirement ceremony and asked me if his actions had anything to do with my decision to retire. I said he made the decision for me by refusing my request.
Thanks to him, I was hired by John, leading to a productive career as a contractor.