41 Days Until Retirement

Stephanie’s first tour as an Ensign was at Chief of Navy Operations (OPNAV) 644, she worked directly for Admiral James D. Watkins in the Pentagon. She was the Division Chief of the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WMMCS), which later became the Global Command and Control System (GCCS). One of only two Ensigns among an office of senior offices, Stephanie had to hold her own. After two years, she rotated to Suitland, Maryland to a place called the Navy Operational Intelligence Center (NOIC). She further sharpened her briefing skills here and picked up a few more with help from many of her mentors, mainly, Bill Reiske. In the picture above, Stephanie is receiving her end of tour award, a Navy Achievement Medal upon her departure in 1989.