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Quinton retires after serving 30 years in Navy

Cathyleen Rice
crice@thelancasternews.com

After more than a quarter of a century of miltary

service on ships, submarines and shore, U.S. Navy Lt.
Cmdr. David Quinton II docked for good July 2, at a
retirement ceremony in Kings Bay, Ga., his last duty
station.
In a career that spanned nearly 30 years and service
in several wars, Quinton rose from the rank of lowly
seaman recruit to lieutenant commander.
Just months after graduating from Lancaster High
School, Quinton enlisted in the Navy in August 1985.
Coming from a military family his father, Russell
Quinton, retired after almost 22 years in the U.S. Army
it was almost a given that Quinton would join the
military, too. His siblings followed in his footsteps,
with his sister, Angela Lancia, serving four years in the
Army and his brother, Ronald Quinton, whos been in
the U.S. Air Force for 28 years and counting.
Russell Quinton is proud that his son made it
through all the wars he was involved in the Cold War,
Operation Enduring Freedom, the Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), the War on
Terror in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Through all of his deployments, I was naturally
worried, but absolutely very proud, his father said.
The family is very fortunate we didnt lose anyone in
the military.
It was a very trying time for our military, Quinton
said of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Being a soldier or sailor in the military, we all understand that
were here to complete a mission to keep America free.
Being that less than 1 percent of people are in the
military, someone has to keep us safe.

Rising through the ranks

After completing his basic training in Great Lakes,
Ill., Quinton attended submarine school and fire control technician classes in Groton, Conn.
As an enlisted petty officer second class, he served
in fire control and public affairs at Submarine Squadron 6 and in the W-2 Gunnery Division on the USS
Emory S. Land, both home-ported in Norfolk, Va. He
also served in fire control on the USS Augusta, USS
Philadelphia and USS Miami, all home-ported in Groton.
As a leading petty officer, he was assigned to shore
duty as a technical reviewer at the Naval Undersea
Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., and, after being promoted to chief petty officer in 1997, as a nuclear
weapons inspector in Bangor, Wash.
In February 2002, Quinton received his commission
through the Limited Duty Officer Program.
Transitioning through the LDOP, I was chosen out
of 13 other sailors by a board, which enabled me to
become an officer, Quinton said.
Russell Quinton was very proud to watch his son go
from an enlisted sailor to an officer, becoming what is
known in the Navy as a mustang, and eventually rising to lieutenant commander.
It was a very rewarding career, giving me a perspective one cant get coming in as an officer, Quinton said. There are a lot of opportunities and jobs in
different places, which led me to stay.
As an ensign and junior lieutenant, Quinton served
as an assistant weapons officer on the USS Maryland.

As a lieutenant, he served as weapons material officer at the Regional Support Group in Groton and
then as wharf officer and nuclear weapons security
officer at the Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic in
Kings Bay, Ga.
Quinton then served in the Office of the Chief of
Naval Operations (OPNAV) as the nuclear weapons
safety and incident section head. He ended his career
as a weapons officer at the Navy Submarine Support
Center in Kings Bay.
Making time to further his education along the way,
Quinton earned a bachelors degree in criminal justice
from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y., in 2010, and a
masters degree in criminal justice from the University
of Massachusetts-Lowell in 2012, with masters certifications in forensic criminology and victim services.

family cruise, possibly to the Bahamas, somewhere

we havent been before, and to Disney World, said
Quinton, who admitted hes just a kid at heart.
After spending some time with his family, Quinton
will start work as a full-time real-estate agent at ERA
Realty in Georgia.
Im not sure if Ill end up in Lancaster, Quinton
said. Most of my family is still there and in surrounding areas, but depending on where work is, thats
where well go.
Wherever he goes, this former sailor is grateful for
the freedom he has in America and the role he played
in ensuring that freedom.
Contact reporter Cathyleen Rice at (803) 283-1155

Patriotic to the end

Initially, I set my retirement date
for July 4, but it was on a Saturday,
Quinton said.
He couldnt set it for July 3 either, because thats the day the
men and women in uniform take
their holiday. So Quinton had to
bump the date to July 2, when his
wife of 26 years, Susan, and their
children, Kayla 22, Kristen, 20, and
Keith, 16, and his father, Russell, accompanied him to his retirement ceremony on
his last day of military duty.
Quintons dress uniform was heavy with
decorations hes earned during his long
career, including seven Navy Commendation Medals, seven Navy Achievement
Medals, two Navy Unit Citations, six Navy
Battle Efficiency E ribbon wreaths, six
Navy Good Conduct Medals, Navy Expeditionary Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals,
two Kosovo Campaign Medals, Global War on
Terrorism Medal, six Sea Service Deployment
Ribbons, Navy Arctic Service Ribbon,
NATO Medal, NATO Kosovo
Medal, Expert Pistol
Medal, Expert Rifle Medal and Silver and Gold
Dolphins
(submarine
insignia).

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Lt. Cmdr. David

Quinton II retired
July 2 after nearly 30
years of service in
the U.S. Navy.

W h at s
next?
Were
definitely
going
on a

GOOD MORNING!

Flashback Friday

July 3

LAVOY STUDIO/courtesy of Travis

Bell Photography

An August 1964 aerial

view of the University
of South Carolina
Lancaster and the
bypass, both under
construction, looking
southeast. At bottom
right is the intersection
of Gillsbrook Road and
the bypass. Downtown
Lancaster is to the
upper right.

Visit http://lancaster.
photoshelter.com/ for more
historic images of Lancaster.

This day in history

1775 George Washington rides out in front of
the American troops gathered at Cambridge common in Massachusetts and draws his sword, formally
taking command of the Continental Army.
1863 Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lees last
attempt at breaking the Union line ends in disastrous failure, bringing the Battle of Gettysburg to an
end.
1890 Idaho, the last of the 50 states to be
explored by settlers, is admitted to the union.
1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs
the Rivers and Harbors Flood Control Bill, which
allocates funds to improve flood-control and waterstorage systems across the country.
2012 Andy Griffith, famous for his role as
the good-hearted, small-town sheriff of fictional
Mayberry, N.C., on the iconic 1960s TV sitcom The
Andy Griffith Show, dies at age 86.
Compiled by Athena Redmond

Extended Weather Forecast

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