STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of CDR Allen Allegretto, U.S. Navy (1982-2021)

I was proud that my father served in the Army during the Korean War, and my grandfather and several uncles served in the Navy. While attending Penn State University, I learned about an opportunity to join the Navy Nuclear Power Officer Candidate Program (NUPOC). I loved technology, so the idea of serving on a nuclear-powered submarine and learning about all of the technology on board fascinated me. I was excited to join the NUPOC program and was only required to maintain good grades and graduate with an engineering degree. I enjoyed the monthly E5 pay.

June – September 1983: Attended Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. I was in Oscar Company and received my commission as a member of the Class of 8401. Summer in Newport was beautiful. The America’s Cup yacht race was held that summer. Unfortunately, that was the first American loss in over a hundred years.

October – November 1983: While waiting for my next duty, I was temporarily assigned to the Own Hometown Area Recruiting Program in State College, PA. In addition to recruiting work, I was able to attend Penn State football home games.

November 1983 – December 1984: Completed Navy Nuclear Power School in Orlando, FL, and Navy Nuclear Prototype Training in Ballston Spa, NY. Navy Nuclear Power School was recognized as the 2nd most difficult school in America. Nuclear Prototype training was my worst duty assignment due to enormous stress and long hours. Many students experienced Shingles.

January – April 1985: Completed Navy Submarine School in Groton, CT. I was initially notified of my next duty assignment aboard USS Albuquerque (SSN 706). However, when an officer on a different submarine was unable to return to duty following a car accident, I was assigned to USS Augusta (SSN 710) as his replacement.

May 1985 – May 1988: Assigned to nuclear submarine USS Augusta (SSN 710), making several Cold War missions from Groton, CT. Qualified nuclear Engineering Officer of the Watch, Officer of the Deck (earning gold dolphins), and Navy Engineering Officer (with oral and written exams in Washington, DC). USS Augusta was assigned to Development Squadron 12 and tested new technologies for the future Seawolf submarine. Technologies included Thin-line Towed Array, Wide Aperture Array, and Special Hull Treatment. We spent two periods in the shipyard to install new technology and to repair damage from a collision at sea. The book and movie Hostile Waters were written about this period of time. I serve as division officer for Communications & Electronic Warfare, Main Propulsion, and Sonar. I also qualified on Tomahawk missiles and was designated the official “Bluenose” by crossing the Arctic Circle.

1988 – 1990: My shore assignment was at the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC, assigned to the Trident Submarine Program Office, Command and Control Systems. Serving as a program manager. I managed execution of R&D, construction, operations, maintenance, and procurement budgets, delivering Ships Control Systems capability for the Trident II (D5) missile and new periscope technology. Received training in Navy Systems Acquisition Management, Defense Contracts Management, and Navy Department Planning and Management Systems.

1990 – 1995: I left active duty to pursue a career in engineering. However, I continued military service in the Navy Reserves in NRC Wilmington, NC. Billets include Navy Control of Shipping Organization (NCSO) and FFG-13 SE Morison support. While on AT orders to Norfolk, VA, for NCSO training, I met my future wife. When both units were disestablished as part of the Cold War ending and downsizing, I left the reserves.

2012 – 2021: After a 17-year gap in service, I had an opportunity to rejoin the Navy Reserves. My wife shared a NAVADMIN message stating that the reserves needed officers who were warfare qualified or had medical or dental qualifications. The re-affiliation process was lengthy, but I eventually began drilling again at the age of 50 and obtained the many required uniforms. I spent the remainder of my Navy Reserve serving in the Submarine Force Reserve Component and qualified as Battle Watch Captain and Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer in Norfolk, VA, and Naples, Italy.

Successfully completing very challenging training (finishing near the top of each class), culminating with being in charge of a nuclear power plant and commanding a nuclear submarine from the bridge at age 24, built enormous confidence. I also developed effective leadership skills, which would serve me well for the rest of my career. I was grateful for the camaraderie and professionalism of all who served. Every Sailor knew their job well, and we all depended on each other to survive and accomplish our mission.

While testing an experimental propeller, the ship unexpectedly performed a record-setting down angle and list, causing various critical equipment to malfunction. Another event was an undersea collision, resulting in significant damage and a lengthy visit to the shipyard.

The best duty station was sea duty aboard USS Augusta (SSN 710). This was my only sea duty, but I experienced tremendous growth professionally and valued the camaraderie from all the Sailors.

The worst duty was the Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit at Ballston Spa, NY. The nuclear reactor experienced a lengthy shutdown to retrieve experimental materials from the reactor core. This put tremendous stress on the students to complete all training and watch evaluations running an actual nuclear reactor. We worked every day for 12 hours. The final exam was 10 hours with no break, racing to complete all questions in the allotted time.

I served with Kevin McCarthy. We first met at the Navy Nuclear Power School, where students were seated in order of their grade on an entrance exam. Our desks were side-by-side, and we began debating who was on the smart or dumb side. This was the start of a lifelong competition as we would later serve together on USS Augusta (SSN 710) as well as in the private sector. Aboard the USS Augusta, we participated in many silly competitions, which we have reminisced about through the years.

I am proud of all my key qualifications, which were all hard-earned. The commanding officer of USS Augusta (SSN 710) expected his junior officers to complete all nuclear plant and submarine qualifications within one year and earn their gold dolphins while working full-time as division officers, standing watches, studying, standing under-instruction watches, and participating in other training and drills. I was proud to earn my dolphins in one year. But I am proud of all of these achievements & qualifications:

– Engineering Officer of the Watch

– Officer of the Deck (Gold Dolphins)

– Navy Nuclear Engineer Officer

– Battle Watch Captain (Theater Undersea Warfare)

Gold Dolphins. Earning the Submarine Warfare insignia is the culmination of many years of nuclear training, training on all ship systems, weapons, warfare tactics, operational watches, and observation by two commanding officers. Being “Warfare Qualified” was an enabler to continuing my career in both active duty and reserve duty.

Commanding officers from active duty and reserves had the most positive impact due to being role models for high performance, responsibility, leadership, and taking care of Sailors. They were excellent role models and inspired me for both military and civilian careers.

– CAPT James von Suskil, CO USS Augusta (SSN 710)

– RADM Michael van Poots, CO Theater Undersea Warfare Detachment

I served with Kevin McCarthy at the following commands:

– Navy Nuclear Power School, Orlando, FL

– Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit, Ballston Spa, NY

– Navy Submarine School, Groton, CT

– USS Augusta (SSN 710), Groton, CT

I rented a house with Kevin for three years while serving aboard USS Augusta in Groton, CT. We later would leave the Navy and, coincidentally, work at Corning Inc.’s optical fiber manufacturing plant in Wilmington, NC. Kevin eventually relocated to the West Coast, but we still keep in touch. I am grateful for reconnecting with many shipmates in 2007 during a USS Augusta reunion event prior to its decommissioning.

When on a mission, whenever we finished our watch, key watch standers spent many hours in the wardroom writing the mission report. We watched the movie Animal House almost every time and had every line memorized.

The Blue Nose initiation ceremony was a blast. A video was made, but it was determined to be in such poor taste that it was destroyed.

So many practical jokes were played on deployments that it would take a lot of space to list them all! Many of the same practical jokes are likely still performed to this day.

In the reserves, I was required to attend a two-week mandatory training class, which was offered in Norfolk & San Diego. My friend John Antonelli and I wanted to go to San Diego, so we requested a waiver stating that a schedule conflict prevented travel to Norfolk. Someone high in the chain of command discovered that the dates were the same and forced us to go to Norfolk. It must have been destiny, since I met my future wife, Anna Marie, on that trip.

In my civilian career, I was a 30-year employee of Corning, Inc. I held various technical and leadership positions in the Optical Fiber division and the Advanced Optics division, led international projects, and managed a team of PhD scientists, engineers, and project managers in developing advanced technology worldwide. I am a Six Sigma Black Belt and hold three patents. I retired from Corning in 2020, and retired from the Navy Reserves in 2021.

I am a life member of the Military Officers Association of America. I am also a member of the local MOAA SENCLAND Chapter in North Carolina. I enjoy camaraderie, attending events with interesting speakers, and support community outreach events related to military veterans. MOAA advocates for military veterans with the federal and state governments. In addition, they provide a wealth of resources and webinars to assist with retirement planning, health care, and many other topics

Military training and culture helped me become more organized, structured, and dependable. I learned to value team accomplishments over individual accomplishments. Having strong department Chiefs and Leading Petty Officers made me feel comfortable with delegation. The Navy groomed my leadership skills at an early age and taught me the importance of taking care of employees. Being trusted with enormous responsibilities greatly improved my confidence: I believed that I could overcome any challenge. The Navy nuclear training program trained me to work error-free. And submarine and nuclear training also exposed me to many science and engineering disciplines. All of these skills and experiences acquired during my military career were critical to my success in the private sector.

What I miss the most is pride in serving and wearing the uniform. I still enjoy camaraderie with all military veterans wherever we meet.

The Navy will make a great career and is worth sticking with. It provides an excellent opportunity to acquire valuable skills and gain experience that will benefit you for the rest of your life. You will enjoy being part of something larger than yourself and serving a higher purpose. You will also benefit from the camaraderie with fellow veterans wherever you meet. If life challenges force you to separate from active duty, I highly recommend joining the reserves and finishing your military career. The Reserves can be a challenge to balance work, life, and reserves. Retirement from either active or reserve duty provides excellent benefits.

The variety of questions helped me think back on my experiences and recall memories.