Courtesy Photo | Capt. Dirk A. Stringer helps load a Coast Guard small boat June of 1985. Stringer...... read more read more
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ST. LOUIS - Behind every service member who chose to join the military, there is a reason that led them on the path they chose. Whether it’s to serve their country, to further their education, or for job security, there are rare cases when some people are simply left without a choice. For one individual, it was a debt to his father that led him to the U.S. Coast Guard—a $1,000 debt for a wrecked car.
The latter may seem like an odd reason to join America’s oldest continuous seagoing service, but that was the exact position Capt. Dirk A. Stringer found himself on the last day of his junior year in high school.
“I was on a joy-ride and wrapped my father’s car around a telephone pole in the summer of 1982,” said Stringer. “The repairs were going to cost $1,000 for the totaled car.”
The next day Stringer was searching the help wanted advertisements when he came across one that matched perfectly.
“High school seniors and college students; join the Coast Guard Reserve and earn $1,000 this summer,” the advertisement read.
Immediately, the 17-year old adolescent went to a recruiter, and two weeks later he was on his way to basic training at Training Center Cape May, N.J. Thus, Stringer’s military career began and 33 years later his honorable service is coming to a close. He ended his career June 13 in a very quiet role as the chief of reserve personnel, management division at Coast Guard Personnel Center, Arlington, Va. However, he didn’t always have a quiet role during his career. Mother Nature’s storms followed him everywhere throughout his watch.
His first encounter with a natural disaster came during his senior year in high school. Stringer responded to the Meramec River floods in St. Louis as a boat crew member assisting flood rescues.
A flood may have been his first experience responding to a natural disaster, but hurricane responses is what he cut his teeth on.
During his service, Stringer responded to hurricanes Andrew, Brett, Danny, Erin, Floyd, Katrina, Gustav and Rita. Gale force winds, storm surges, and floods, were all in a day’s work. He filled many roles during these storms including command duty officer, disaster assistance response team leader, strategic planning unit leader and operations watch controller.
He even experienced two earthquakes while on duty. The first was in October 1989, while he was serving on a construction team in Alameda, Calif. The second earthquake took place in 2011 shortly after arriving to Coast Guard Headquarters, Wash., as the new executive officer.
“We had a fire alarm, and after managing the evacuation I checked in with Vice Admiral John P. Currier, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Headquarters, to see how we did. He was happy with the evolution and asked where I got my experience, I outlined my career to him and told him disasters always occur within a few months of my arrival. He brushed off my comment. That afternoon we had the Virginia earthquake,” said Stringer.
Stringer, of course, didn’t stop at natural disasters; he worked for the Eighth Coast Guard District Incident Management Team, New Orleans during the Deepwater Horizon spill, the largest oil spill in American history.
“We had just finished watching some music at Jazz Festival when Dirk received a call,” said Trudy Stringer, his wife of 26 years. “He said it would be nothing and that he would be right back… I didn’t see him for 63 days.”
In spite of all the earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, oil spills and car wrecks, Stringer was able to complete an impressive list of educational accomplishments. These include: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Masters in Public Administration, Masters of Arts in Human Resource Management and Masters of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management. He is currently working on his dissertation for his Doctorate of Business Administration in Homeland Security Leadership.
“The Coast Guard's different education programs have helped fund every degree that I have received and every school I attended provided a special rate for military members. All junior members should take every opportunity to get as much education as possible. Use the benefits that the Coast Guard offers you so you can grow as a Coast Guardsman and as a person,” said Stringer.
At first look, it would appear that Stringer’s favorite part of serving was responding to disasters, but he actually took joy in some of the more subtle rewards of the job.
“Seeing successes in personnel who work for you is far more gratifying than personal success,” said Stringer.
Stringer had simple advice for the junior members of the Coast Guard.
“Focus on the mission and focus on being a good shipmate,” said Stringer. “Once I stopped thinking about the career impact of my decisions and focused solely on what was the best thing to do for the Coast Guard, and for my people, I realized the job was much more satisfying.”
| Date Taken: | 06.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2015 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 166639 |
| Location: | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 951 |
| Downloads: | 15 |
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