I was commissioned Ensign in the U.S. Navy in November, 1957 and subsequently advanced in rank to that of Captain. I was first assigned to the Naval Support Activity in Naples, Italy, and later to the Military Sea Transportation Service in Yokohama, Japan. Later assignments included one operational deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, two deployments to South America, duty in Vietnam and reassignment to Navy headquarters in Washington, DC.

Other duty was performed at the Fleet Support Office in Athens, Greece; on the staff of the Commander Sixth Fleet homeported in Gaeta, Italy; in London, England on the staff of the Commander in Chief of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe; and at the Naval Material Command in Washington, DC.

While serving on the staff of the Sixth Fleet, in the rank of Commander, I directed Navy Public relations efforts during the 1973 Middle East War and later during the U.S. Navy mine clearing operations in the Suez Canal. In 1975 I also directed the U.S. Navy's Public Affairs program during the first visit of U.S. Navy warships to the then Soviet Union ( Leningrad ) since WWII.

In addition to my designation as a Public Affairs specialist, I was awarded a Political-Military subspecialist ranking, because of a particular expertise in Middle East and European affairs.