After leaving the 'DO' in September of 1990, I was assigned to DEPCOMOPTEVFORPAC at NAS North Island. That was a great tour, what shore duty should be. I basically did project work for the Navy's UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) program and reported to the Joint Cruise Missile Project Office in DC. When things heated up for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the Army office that does the same thing that we did for the Navy had a bunch of people sent to the sand, so I went TAD to DC from Dec 90 - April 91 (on per diem the whole time). I reported to an Army Major and the whole experience was somewhat surreal.

After returning to the office in San Diego, I was sent TAD to USS DOYLE (FFG 39) to assist in the testing of a UAV for the Navy under operational conditions. I met DOYLE in Den Helder, the Netherlands, and did a STANAVFORLANT cruise, calling in Denmark, Germany, Scotland, and England. My former boss (Weapons Officer), LCDR (then LT) Bart Farrell, was the US Liaison to the Dutch Admiral commanding the task group. It was good to catch up at the time, although I haven't seen or heard from him since then. The cruise was typical Navy, simultaneously fun and miserable. The CO was tough to work for and helped me make my decision to leave the service by his actions (I'm trying to be diplomatic here).

Anyway, I had about had my fill of the Navy at that point, and rather than Department Head School, I left active duty in the fall of 1992, enrolling in the MBA program at Duke University. I remained in the reserves in a Military Sealift Command unit in Raleigh, NC (it paid for my rent and beer money). After graduating from Duke, I transferred to the IRR and went to work for the JP Morgan Interest Rate Derivatives Desk in New York City, where I have lived ever since. In the summer of '99 I left Morgan and took a job doing similar work for Deutsche Bank.

Last year I reaffiliated with the reserves after a 6-year break in service. I joined Mobile Inshore undersea Warfare Unit 203 at the Reserve Center in the Bronx, NY. It is a LOT of work, and I am thinking about bailing again for greener pastures. I have been living in Manhattan for over 6 years now with no end in sight, was engaged for about a year to a woman I met in San Diego (but broke it off), and have been generally doing OK.

I proudly remember serving on the Marvin Shields as the most challenging time in my life. Knox class frigates were particularly tough places for divos to work and learn, and everything I have done since leaving that brief 3-year tour has seemed relatively easy by comparison. I certainly get more sleep these days . . .

Regards to all,
Chad Brandt