Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Icon Retires - Captain Kevin Hooley


Captain Kevin Hooley
From:
Tim Bovill
Naval Network Warfare Command
Director, Human & Command Resources

Wanted to let you all know that I attended a ceremony IHO of CAPT Kevin Hooley yesterday as he finalizes his days on active duty.  ADM Harvey, U.S. Fleet Forces, was present and said, "when I saw Kevin's award come across my desk, I will sign it under the condition that I present it!"
Sure enough, he did.

After 40 years of active duty, his time has come to retire.  Not many have taken Kevin's path, Seaman to LDO and ultimately reaching the rank of Captain, but a few come to mind....Captains Al Ross, Larry Schaffer, Clyde Lopez, Jim Newman, Tom Botulinski, Craig Eaton, and still on active duty, Jim Brokaw.  I'm sure there are plenty more.  Each of these individuals would tell they all had good mentors and great Chiefs that kept them in line and on the right track.  Yesterday, Kevin gave all the credit for his success to many people but he was extremely grateful for the Chief's mess's throughout his career.

Kevin enlisted in 1972 and after 10 years as a CTR (a real Morse Code kind of guy), he was commissioned via the LDO program (1982).  To recap his spectacular career, his sea duty (PCS and DIRSUP) and shore duty assignments included:

- USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) (on last deployment)
- USS HANCOCK (CV 19) (decommissioned)
- USS ORISKANY (CVA 34) (decommissioned)
- USS MIDWAY (CV 41) (decommissioned)
- USS RANGER (CVA 61) (decommissioned)
- USS OKLAHOMA CITY (CG 5 (hull number 5, really Kevin??)
(decommissioned)
- USS WORDEN (CG 18) (decommissioned)
- USS REEVES (CG 24) (decommissioned)
- USS JOUETT (DLG 29) (decommissioned)
- USS STERETT (CG 31) (decommissioned)
- USS BAINBRIDGE (CGN 25) (decommissioned)
- USS IOWA (BB 61) (decommissioned)
- USS PARCHE (SSN 683) (decommissioned)
- USS SARGO (SSN 583) (decommissioned)
- USS POLLACK (SSN 603) (decommissioned)

- Naval Communications Training Center, Pensacola, FL
- U.S. NAVCOMMSTA, Philippines
- U.S. NAVSECGRUACT Clark AB, Philippines
- U.S. NAVSECGRUACT Misawa Japan
- NAVSECGRUACT Northwest, VA
- NAVSECGRUACT Fort Meade, MD
- SPAWAR Washington DC
- COMSECONDFLT
- COMNAVSECGRU
- SPECWAR, Coronado, CA
- U.S. NAVSECGRUACT Bad Aibling (Commanding Officer) (decommissioned)
- CINCLANTFLT (now Fleet Forces Command)
- U.S. Naval Forces, Central Command/U.S. FIFTH Fleet
- Center for Cryptology/Center for Information Dominance (Commanding
Officer)
- CNO Strategic Studies Group, Newport, RI
- Naval Network Warfare Command, Norfolk, VA
- Navy Cyber Forces Command, Virginia Beach, VA

In his remarks yesterday, Kevin said...."when you see me sitting on my porch, gazing and smiling at the sky, know that I am thinking of all of you!"

Fair Winds and Following Seas Captain Hooley. 

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That, ladies and gentlemen, is service.

LCDR T. Murphy said...

As an intel officer that worked under CAPT Hooley while out at NAVCENT / 5th FLT, I can say without reservation that CAPT Hooley was one of the best Navy officers I've worked with.

His influence lives on in all of us who worked with him and for him.

CTRC(SW/AW) Martin said...

Captain Hooley was the best I have seen. Fair winds, sir!!

Mike Lambert said...

Kevin,

What you have done in your career will echo for an eternity.

Apologies to Marcus Aurelius.

All the best
Mike

Anonymous said...

Kevin,
What ever happened to that LJjg that was afraid of flying I use to support?
Fair winds and following seas..
-Ray Burns

Anonymous said...

Captain Lambert,

As the author of “Anchor Up Chiefs” I know that you have seen what you consider to be a degradation of the CPO Mess in the later portion of your career. The question in my mind is why did that situation occur? CAPT Kevin Hooley must have been incorrect in his opinion of the CPO, if, Anchor Up Chiefs, has any validity, it would appear that he praised the Chiefs for bringing him up in the Navy, and his service was concurrent with yours as near as my math can calculate. By the way I was a Chief Petty Officer before either of you gentleman enlisted in the Navy and it is my opinion that the Chiefs position of authority and responsibility was degraded by the Officers of the Navy simply due to their ranking position, where these officers overruled the Chief. And that is what led to, Anchor Up Chiefs.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834

LCDRLDO/6440 said...

A real Navy Mustang! Got his commission the hard way - he earned it. Thank you CAPT Hooley for your inspiration and leadership.

Bill Richardson said...

Capt. Hooley, has a very young CTRSN on the Okie Boat I knew you had what it took (BTW, Kevin R Hooley was the CTRSN. Take a rest, for Christ's sake.. You earned it.
Bill "Rich" Richardson

Anonymous said...

Good on him for changing but talk about revisionist history. It's a miracle that this shanty Irish donkey didn't die from sclerosis of the liver let alone lived to make Captain. Was it God? A 12 Step Program? Love of a Good Woman? Maybe all three? The only time "Bagooley' drew a sober breath while he was an elistedman was when he was at sea. Functional Alcoholic whose reputation far exceeded his skill set. This so called 'icon' has large clay feet and his career was based on printing the legend rather than the facts. C Peck. San Miguel/GOT/Misawa

Anonymous said...

I went to CTM a-school under Captain Hooley in 2005 (2006?). Midway through, I went out with some other sailors to play some pool and have drinks. After we took a taxi back to the barracks, I visited a friend in another room and bragged about how much beer I'd won by winning pool games. My friend's roommate, CTR3 Armstrong, a C-school student who hadnt seen the fleet yet, pretended to be asleep and then went to turn me in after I left. The barracks PO sent him to walk me to the quarterdeck. As we walked, he said to me "I had my nights too at your age, but it was my duty as a petty officer to turn you in." After blowing, I didnt hear anything else about it until sitting down to take my final to graduate. I was top of the class. The instructor was ordered to not let me take the test. I went before the Hooley, who sent me to the fleet undesignated for underage drinking, knowing that most of the underage students had a beer from time to time. Today, I'm a computer systems engineer and am still tortured by that failure. I would still be in the Navy if he hadn't taken my rate. I assume the USN has Armstrong in a chief's mess somewhere.

Unknown said...

Basically this same thing happened to me. They wouldn't let me take my final either. Hooley discharged me.

grunt said...

Bitching on the net without anything to back it up. He's retired. Put your name out there with some facts. Cry baby bitch.

grunt said...

Bitching with no facts to support. Sounds like you're pissed about being a fuck up Ray.

B said...

The same thing happened to me in 2005/2006. A C school "petty officer" pretended to be sleeping in his barracks while I was telling my buddy, his roommate, that I'd just got some beer and played pool with friends from NSA. Then the guy turned me in. Captain Hooley let me continue school right up until the final. I was top of my class. He brought me to CM while my class took their finals and sent me to the fleet undesignated. If you would like proof of that, let me know.