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MCPO Hilary Kunz

Navy | Electronics Technician (Surface)

Dates of Service: Feb 1976 - Sep 2000

RETIRED

100% Complete

13 Endorsements

35 Contacts

Influence Score: 150,229
626 out of 862,797 Veterans

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Commissioning Source: Enlisted-to-Officer, Sep 1987

Recent Activity -

Bio

Born in Vallejo, CA at the Mare Island Naval Hospital. Grew up on a family farm outside a small town in eastern Washington, where I graduated high school with the same kids I went to kindergarten with, wrestling 4 years. Attended Gonzaga U, I joined ROTC Rangers, left to join the Navy, saw the world. Retired, got degree and Masters, sold real estate, worked for a small CA town, retired in Arizona.

Military Experiences

Sep 1998 - Sep 2000

Combat Systems LCPO

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), PHIBRON 11, Amphibious Squadrons, COMNAVSURFPAC | San Diego, CA

I retired Additional information to come, work in progress.

Apr 1995 - Aug 1998

Assistant EMO

COMNAVSURFPAC, COMPACFLT | Coronado, CA

Assistant Force EMO Almost a continuation of the work id done at Fleet Combat, we worked on further developing communication systems and data links between ships. Training wasn’t the only thing exported. Facilitated sending a radar antenna from Norfolk to Fiji. I never saw the antenna, but I tracked it via then-special and expensive equipment (GPS). I field tested new technology and made recommendations on GPS, cell phones, and commercial off the shelf radar systems. Since I’d installed a Furuno already, I knew the pitfalls and helped move the technology forward as COTS installs in the Fleet. More to come.

Apr 1992 - Apr 1995

Assistant EMO/3M Coordinator

USS New Orleans (LPH-11), Decommissioned Ships | San Diego, CA

Originally assigned as Asst EMO and Ops LCPO, I spent most of the tour as 3MC and Asst SMO, in Admin. Started in the yards under the Coronado bridge, and we were in Hong Kong when “Blackhawk Down” happened. Rushd to Somalia to provide support, were extended, staying on the “Groundhog” cruise, every day the same, until Feb 2nd. Mission was Marine air support of humanitarian ops. We built a stage and hosted USO shows at sea with Larry Gatlin, his wife, and other forgotten celebrities. I ran four 7 min miles daily for something to do. We got back just days before my year-in-advance reservations to hike the Grand Canyon with my Dad. The last deployment we went to Aqaba, Jordan in support of the defection of Saddam Hussein’s sons-n-law. I also qualified EEOW and stood watch in the engine room.

Apr 1989 - Apr 1992

Faculty Instructor

Advanced Multi-threat Team Training | Fleet Combat Training Center, Pacific, San Diego, CA

In charge of shipboard combat training that involved multiple ship crews onsite, and eventually we were able to export the training to the ships themselves using modified ship-to-ship radios and a satellite link. In spite of how I got there, I put everything in the assignment. This was a Humanitarian Assignment because my daughter fell ill. I was CODed off the Midway to Trippler and then SD. The Navy stepped up to an amazing degree. All bills, over 500k, covered. The CIA found donors in a Manila slum (she was adopted) and delivered them to me in the US. It was also a career killer, but the Navy reverted me to ETCM so I could stay in. As a temporary officer, I continued to rise in enlisted rank while commissioned, so was administratively advanced as my TIR came due.

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Deployments

(3 years, 3 months)

Jan 2000 - May 2000

Persian/Arabian Gulf

I was LCPO for Combat Systems, ran the ships training program, and hustled to adequately incorporate our newly arrived female Sailors. I had some great help, ET2 Carter, who went on to become CMC of a ship as ETCM(SW/AW) Rasmussen-Hastings. We navigated through burning oil wells to Kuwait where we did ground support operations.

Mar 1995 - Jun 1995

Jordan

We went with a mission in mind from the States. We pulled into Aqaba the week Saddam Hussein’s sons in law defected to Jordan, and stayed until they were secure. The Gulf of Aqaba is not a good spot for a capital ship, so we that weren’t briefed were just along for the ride. In port Aqaba you see 4 countries, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi.

Sep 1993 - Apr 1994

Somalia

We started a standard six-month cruise, but while in Hong Kong “Blackhawk Down” happened, we took on supplies and hightailed it at all speed to Mogadishu, my home for some six months. We called it the Groundhog Cruise after the Bill Murray movie, every day the same, weather, wind, currents, schedule, same film clip, then detached on Groundhog Day.

Nov 1987 - Feb 1989

Persian/Arabian Gulf, Yokosuka Japan

Assistant Electronic Warfare Officer aboard the USS Midway, CV 41. I was responsible for receiving and promulgating enemy electronic signals during Earnest Will Operations. Most of the tour was underway in the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, and off the coast of Korea and Russia.

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