Gonvick Native, Steven Richards, concludes his military career
Tue, 09/26/2017 - 9:46am
admin
The Navy Retirement Ceremony is a long-standing tradition meant to celebrate the conclusion of a successful military career, to bid farewell to a shipmate as he departs from active service to rejoin the civilian community.
Steven M. Richards joined that group in June of this year with a ceremony before 190 people at the officers club on Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in the state of Washington.
The arrival of the official party, the parade of colors, the National Anthem before the invocation was led by Pastor Debra Benson, Steve’s pastor at Anacortes Lutheran Church.
Guest speakers included CDR James Rankin and Captain Geoff Moore Commanding Officer at NAS Whidbey Island.
Commander Richards was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from GonvickTrail High School in 1987. He was commissioned from the University of Minnesota NROTC unit with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He met his wife, Jeni Holland, in one of their engineering classes at the University and were married in June of 1990.
Steve earned designation as a Naval Aviator on December 17, 1993 after flight training in NAS Whiting Field, Florida and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. The same town that their first son Conner was born in November 1993.
He was with Patrol Squadron EIGHT stationed at NAS Brunswick, Maine with two Sigonella deployments and one Keflavik/Panama/Puerto Rico tri-site deployment in 1995. Leaving his family for over 6 months each time and his second son Daniel who was born in Maine in April 1995.
In 1999 he was with Patrol Squadron THIRTY at NAS Jacksonville, Florida as a flight instructor.
His next assignment was Patrol Squadron Special Projects Unit TWO stationed at MCBH Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in February 2001 where he was a World Traveler to parts unknown to the family.
October 2003 saw the family moving again to Patrol Squadron FORTY-SIX at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington where he was deployed twice with VP-46 to the SEVENTH Fleet AOR.
He joined US STRATCOM at Offutt AFB, Nebraska in November 2006 where he served in the Plans and Policy Division.
His next assignment was a desk job and not as a pilot as the Executive Officer for the Navy Recruiting District in Seattle in 2009 and then the command in 2010. He was responsible for all Navy recruiting efforts within Alaska, Montana, the northern Idaho panhandle and the majority of Washington State.
The Navy found out that he had been in the Navy over 20 years and he had only been a pilot and at a desk and needed to be on a ship. In May of 2012 he reported to Carrier Strike Group ELEVEN as Anti-Terrorism Force Protection Officer and as the fleet Admiral’s Liaison Officer. He embarked on the USS Nimitz and was deployed until November 2014. It was during that time that the Nimitz sailed through the Suez Canal, which was the first time a west coast based carrier had been in the Mediterranean Sea.
His last assignment was as the base Executive Officer at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station
His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Strike Flight Air Medals, five Navy Commendation Medals, (one with Combat Distinguishing device), and three Navy Achievement medals as well as other unit and service awards.