WAYNE A. BRALEY
Thursday, January 4, 2018
In Service to My Country
I had a very rewarding career serving in Federal Civil Service, U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. My career began as a Communications Equipment Operator at Naval Air Station South Weymouth, MA, where I received an award for excellence associated with transmission of error free Department of Defense messages. Following that, I was a Telecommunications Specialist on the staff of the Commander First Coast Guard District in Boston. The scope of the assignment covered New Jersey to Maine where I managed operations of voice and data networks & systems. It required an exclusive network of various government and commercial account managers capable of the escalation process during emergencies and project management. Always on 24 hour recall, I was responsible for restoration and implementation of emergency communications support that included tasking for Flight 800, Egypt Air, John F. Kennedy, Jr., plane crash and many other distress and environmental deployments. I received numerous awards for excellence with my most distinguished being the Department of Transportation award for excellence in telecommunications. My wife and I traveled to Washington D.C. for the presentation by Secretary of Transportation, Ms. Elizabeth Dole. Another award was received by the Boston Federal Executive Board.
Following my civil service career I was employed by General Dynamics under contract with the General Services Administration Boston as a telecommunications analyst. I was assigned to the GSA project called the Metropolitan Area Acquisition/MAA which was a project to upgrade Bostons Federal agencies telecommunications infrastructure. Unfortunately the disaster of 9/11 took place. I was immediately tasked to upgrade the voice/data networks of U.S. Customs and U.S. Dept of Immigration. The importance was to direct urgent interoperability throughout both agencies. Overall, the MAA and 9/11 projects lasted for 4 years.
I was in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Early in the reserve program I was assigned to the cutter USCGC Vigilant out of New Bedford. During the Vessel Augmentation program I attained the rank of Senior Chief Radioman(E8). In 1987 I was selected as the First Coast Guard District Reservist of the Year. I was selected out of 3500 members in the District. The award was ceremonial with representatives of the U.S. Navy League of Boston, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Admiral of the First Coast Guard District. I was promoted to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Communications(W4) assigned to the First District telecommunications Center addressing the Radioman training program throughout the District. In the summer of 1989, I received orders to the Valdez oil spill in Alaska. The Pentagon activated the Department of Military Support/DOMS. I was activated and assigned to their Joint Command Center consisting of Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard personnel at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. My career was highlighted by receiving my own command. I was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Point Allerton, Hull, MA, as Commanding Officer of the reserve unit. Because of my experience with reserve/active duty training my mission was to merge both commands as one comprehensive concept called "Team Coast Guard."
I had completed 4 years active duty in the U.S. Navy. Following Radioman school I was assigned to the Naval Communications Station Balboa/NBA U.S. Canal Zone adjacent to Panama. The command supported Naval communications for the southern hemisphere of South America and Antarctica. It was a very difficult 2 year assignment due to anti American influence and Defense Conditions were not uncommon. During my second year and with the use of Morse Code, I received messages from worldwide national/international merchant and commercial ships requesting transit through the Panama Canal. My next assignment was the USS WRIGHT CC-2 out of Norfolk VA. She was a Communications Command ship designed to support the President and Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Pentagon in case of nuclear conflict. She was the National Emergency Command Afloat or NECPA. I was onboard for a mission to South America supporting President Johnson and staff during a South American international conference in Uruquay, SA. I received a letter of commendation from the Commanding Officer. Both Wright and Navcommsta are documented on the web. I am a member of Catboat and Amateur Radio Association and the Star in the East Masonic Lodge in New Bedford, MA.
