Leisure World News

A6 January 2022 • Community • www.lwca.com By John Latus “Join the Navy and See the World!” Many years ago, that was the theme the U.S. Navy used for its recruitment promotions. And this certainly sums up Leisure World resident Gary Lock’s career when he joined the Navy after graduating from Mountain View High School in Mesa in 1981. At age 17, Gary enlisted. And 31 years later, he left the Navy as a Lt. Commander, having served all over the world. The Journey Begins Gary was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1963. Three years later, his family moved to Mesa, Arizona. Gary entered the Navy after high school and was assigned basic training in San Diego, California, for nine weeks. Upon completion, he attended Operations School in Damneck, Virginia. There, he learned basic radar operations, maritime navigation, operational control of aircraft, surface and sub surface vessels, communications and basic tactical data systems. Gary’s first duty station was Naval Air Station in Fallon Nevada, where he learned to provide video and visual advisory control of fighter and attack aircraft attacking training targets on the largest military training facility in the world. Ships, Planes and Love Two years later, Gary was assigned his first ship, the USS Vancouver, based in San Diego, California. On a landing personnel dock, they practiced disembarking troops throughout the Pacific for five years. Gary continued to control aircraft and became a helicopter transit controller, moving additional marines and sailors through the air. He was assigned to the USS Halsey, a Guided Missile Cruiser for three years. Gary became a watch supervisor helping to control planes and anything else involving war fighting, including surface vessels and submarines. Based in Hawaii, the ship sailed to Australia, Okinawa, Korea, the Philippines and Japan with short duties in each country where he taught the resident military the basics of aircraft control and interception. Gary was fortunate to be stationed with one of his brothers through a program called brother duty. Following back-to-back sea tours, Gary remained in San Diego with the San Diego Naval Training Center where he became the Command Fitness Coordinator for 400 staff. It was during this tour that Gary met his wife-to-be, Christina Van Dette in 1991. One year later, they were married. Chris also served in the U.S. Navy and served out her four-year enlistment before dedicating herself to her husband and family in 1992. Adventures on USS Elliott Gary’s next assignment was the USS Elliot. where he served as a Leading Petty Officer, CIC Watch Officer and Air Interceptor Controller. The Elliot, a Guided Missile Destroyer, was assigned to the Northern Arabian Gulf as a Northern Air Picket Station and was tasked with executing United Nations sanctions levied on Iraq. The Elliot was also called to protect tankers and other vessels being harassed and boarded by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members operating in patrol boats and holding the tankers for ransom. Gary’s tour on the Elliot lasted four years, during which time, they deployed to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines and many other exotic locations. In 1996, Gary was awarded “Sailor of the Year” on the Elliot. A Skilled Drill Instructor Gary’s next assignment was shore duty at Great Lakes Naval Air Station as a drill instructor. He led nine straight divisions through eight weeks of intense training designed to acclimate civilians towards military life. Gary was selected to go to RDC school to teach new drill instructors on how to become drill instructors at Great Lakes. Gary was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and obtained a commission through the Navy’s Warrant Officer Program as a CWO2. As a new officer, Gary was assigned to the USS Carney out of Mayport, Florida. Carney, a guided missile destroyer was part of the USS John F. Kennedy Battle Group. He held several responsible positions, including Naval Gunnery Officer. It was as the Gunnery Officer that Gary led Carney to earn Battle Group Honors for the coveted best Naval Gunnery performance. It was also on Carney that Gary helped establish what is now Homeland Defense immediately after September 11, 2001. The Carney assignment ended in January 2003. European Horizons Then, Gary accepted an assignment in St. Mawgan, (Cornwall, United Kingdom) on a Royal Air Force Base. He was introduced to integrated undersea surveillance and monitored the oceans for enemy submarines. The assignment allowed Gary to bring Chris and his family to live in England and travel extensively throughout Europe. Gary worked with the Brits for three years, before reluctantly departing in December 2005. Gary was pursuing a new assignment with the Sixth Fleet Staff stationed in Italy, but the USMC had other ideas.The Navy sent Gary to the 1st Battalion 12th Marines out of Kaneohe Marine Base, Hawaii, where he led a thousand- man battalion on two highly successful and decorated combat deployments to Iraq as the Counter Improvised Explosive Device Officer and Electronic Warfare Officer. It was by far the most rewarding tour of his career! In 2009, Gary accepted another position within the Integrated Undersea Warfare community but this time, in the Pacific (Whidbey Island, Washington), where again Gary was the Operations Officer. It was also here that he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Gary’s final assignment was at Naval Information Operations Command also at Whidbey Island, where he served as the Readiness Department Head and charged with ensuring all members were deployable by initiating periodic background checks to maintain security clearance. He officially retired on March 13, 2013. Called to Teach Gary received a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a master’s degree in human resources with a graduate leadership certificate — all at Brandman University in Washington state. Prior to returning home in 2015, he accepted a position as the Senior Naval Science Instructor at Glendale High School. Knowing he found his post-retirement calling, Gary still longed to get back to Mesa, so when the same job became available at Apache Junction High School in Arizona, Gary took it in 2018. He remains there to this day. Why Leisure World Gary and Chris had purchased a home in Mesa on Brown and Greenfield, but always wondered what was behind those gates at Leisure World. So, they booked a tour, not intending to buy but simply observe. What they saw impressed them! So, two weeks later, they made an offer on a home and moved here in 2021. Thanks for your service, Gary and Chris. And thank you for being part of our Leisure World community! We will all remember this day. And it will be hard for the Lions Club to top this event next year! -John Latus is a Leisure World resident, veteran and LW News contributor. If you are veteran — male or female — and want to be featured in LW News, please email news@lwca.com . VETERAN SPOTLIGHT Gary Lock: A Navy Veteran Who Served Globally Lt. Commander Gary Lock in 2013. Gary and Chris ready for Glendale Union High School District Navy Ball in 2017.