Greetings All,

On Friday, May 3, 2019, longtime NNOA member and DCNNOA member CAPT Robert A. Dews, Jr. USN held his Retirement Ceremony at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. CAPT Dews was born in Washington, DC and raised in Capitol Heights, Maryland. He attended Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology Magna Cum Laude in 1988. He received his commission as an Aviation Maintenance Duty Officer after completing Aviation Officers Candidate School (ACOS) in Pensacola, Florida in May 1989. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from New Hampshire College and is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR). CAPT Dews is also a graduate of the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, KS and the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA and is a Joint Qualified Officer. CAPT Dews served 30 years in the Navy in a variety of sea and shore assignments. At sea, his assignments included: Maintenance Material Control Officer, USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73).

Captain Dews previous shore assignments included: Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD), Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico where he served as the Aircraft Maintenance Division Officer and Quality Assurance Officer from September 1989 to August 1991. Commanding Officer of the Oklahoma City Military Entrance Processing Station from November 2001 to March 2004. Lead Analyst in the Office of the Deputy Assistant, Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment) in support of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure. In 2005 he served as Executive Officer and subsequently served as Commanding Officer of Navy Recruiting District Dallas from June 2007 to January 2009. From March 2009 through February 2012 he served as Officer in Charge of the Navy’s recruiting training center, the Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit at NAS Pensacola. From April 2012 to July 2013 he served as the Director of Personal and Family Readiness (OPNAV N135F). CAPT Dews later served as the Deputy Director for Diversity for the Navy Recruiting Command from August 2013 to February 2014 and as the Director of Operations (N3) of the Navy Recruiting Command from March 2014 to August 2015. In August 2015 CAPT Dews reported to his current and final Navy assignment as the Director of Safety for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

CAPT Dews achieved a number of significant accomplishments during his career which included VFA-136 Maintenance Officer of the Year in 1993 and Officer of the Year Award for NAS Patuxent River in 1996. His military decorations include the following: Legion of Merit (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards) and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards) as well as various campaign and service awards.

The Guest Speaker for CAPT Dews Retirement Ceremony was Admiral Craig S. Faller, USN Commander, United States Southern Command. The Master of Ceremony was CAPT Donald Kennedy, USN. Dignitaries in attendance included RADM (Retired) Sinclair Harris, USN and Current President of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), RADM (Retired) Julius Caesar, USN, former NNOA National Presidents CAPT (Retired) Bernard Jackson, USN, CAPT (Retired) Anthony P. Barnes, USN and Colonel (Retired) Robert Clements, USMC. CAPT Dews was also presented with an award from the Annapolis Chapter of his fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi. CAPT Dews was joined in the ceremony by his wife, daughter, son, Mother, sister and numerous other family members and friends.

As in true Navy tradition the ceremony was “superb”! “Best Wishes” are forwarded to CAPT Dews and his family for 30 years of distinguished service to this nation and the United States Navy from all his friends and colleagues within the National Naval Officers Association!