Station HYPO

Military service is time spent serving by an individual or group in the armed forces, such as the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, or Space Force whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or because of an involuntary draft (conscription). Service requires an immense understanding and sacrifice, by the members, but more precisely by the family to endure the countless deployments, combat tours, and long hours.

I always held the belief that “the military is a great place to start, the duration of your service is a personal choice”. My entire nuclear family (me, my wife, and our four children) not only understood the sacrifice, but embraced the expense and chose military service, particularly the U.S. Navy, as a selected occupation and profession.

I never imagined serving more than my initial 4 years, let alone 40 years. While 40 years sounds like a long time, time flies when you are engaged in an activity you love. To better explain how I see my time in the Naval service, you need only to embrace and understand the term and meaning of “FAMILY”. Nothing is nearer and dearer to a service member’s heart than family. For me there are three forms of family:

1. The biological family that you are born into, which instills the values to be your best and work twice as hard in most cases to obtain the same respect. While it might be unfair, buckle-down and get it done!

2. The Navy family that amounts to your vocation and for me what became my calling. The beginning, continuance and future that drove me, and the vocation and bond of the Navy family that also sustained me throughout my career.

3. The created family as you join a union with a significant other and possibly add children. These people are the very lifeblood and reason I exist. The countless sacrifices they endured cannot be measured or overstated. I truly embraced the adage “Take the Hard Tours and succeed”. As a result, there were countless holidays, birthdays, and other special events I missed due to deployments and combat tours. I cannot and will not attempt to measure the magnitude of those absences, but they know how much I wanted to be there and appreciate their sacrifice.

So, as you can see these three (3) family-forms are inextricably intertwined and are key to the person I have become.

I am a retired Sailor, husband, enormously proud father, and unmeasurably overjoyed grandfather. I am currently a Senior Advisor and Counter-C5ISRT, SIGINT, and EW SME with The Applied Research Laboratory of Pennsylvania State University. A native of Racine Wisconsin, I enlisted in the Navy in 1981 and served in a myriad of Cryptologic operational and staff tours. I was commissioned in 1994 via the Enlisted Commissioning Program designated for the Restricted Line, Special Duty Cryptology.

During my 40-year Navy career (12 – Enlisted as a CTT/CTR, 1 – as an Officer Candidate, and 27 as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer), I specialized in Cryptologic Warfare completing a multitude of operational, combat, and national tours/missions.

My sea and combat tours included serving as Staff Cryptologist aboard USS NASSAU (LHA-4), homeported out of Norfolk, VA; Ship’s Signals Exploitation Space Officer and Electronic Warfare (EW) Officer in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM and UNIFIED ASSISTANCE aboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72), homeported out of Everett, WA; Signals Intelligence/EW Advisor as part of a 3-year Joint Manpower Exchange Program with XVIII Airborne Corps, completing a 15-month deployment as Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq and support to Operation Unified Response as part of Joint Task Force-Haiti; Fleet Cryptologist and Deputy N2 on Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet Staff aboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19), homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan; Information Warfare Commander (IWC) and Chief of Staff on COMCARSTRKGRU FIVE/CTF-70 aboard USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76), homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan.

My shore assignments included serving as Special Signals Analyst/Supervisor at Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Edzell, Scotland and Misawa, Japan; Lead Instructor for the Senior Signals Analyst Course (9147) at Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) Corry Station, Pensacola, FL; Special Mission Analyst (forward element) at National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) Fort Meade, MD; High Frequency Direction Finding Division Officer and CLASSIC WIZARD Department Head at NSGA Adak, AK; Collections Division Officer at NSGA Northwest, VA; Officer Training Division Officer and Lead Instructor for Naval Cryptologic Officer Basic Course and Afloat Cryptologic Managers Course at NTTC Corry Station, Pensacola, FL; Department Head for Defensive Cyber Operations at NSGA Pensacola; Project Lead for Maritime Interdiction Operations Intelligence Exploitation Team at CNO/OPNAV N2; Deputy Commander of Task Force 1090 and Executive Officer at Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group Command, Suitland, MD; Branch Head for Counter-C4ISR and Cyber Warfare at CNO/OPNAV N2N6; Commander of NSA/CSS Hawaii; and final tour as Chief of Staff on the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for the Principal Cyber Advisor.

My educational background includes Associates of Arts (AA) in Engineering from Pensacola State College, Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Engineering Physics) from Norfolk State University, Master of Science in Education from Troy State University, Master of Science in Strategic Studies from Air war College, and Joint Professional Military Education I & II.

My amazing wife, the former Stacy Holland, is a former Naval Officer, wife, proud mother and illimitably gratified grandmother. She is a graduate from Georgian Court College with a Bachelor of Arts in French & English Literature. Stacy was commissioned in 1991 via the Aviation Officer Candidate School at NAS, Pensacola, FL. In 1992 she deployed aboard HMS Cornwall to the West Indies as West Indies Guard ship, visiting Bermuda, Tortola, Belize, the Bahamas, Key West and Curacao. Stacy transitioned to Supply Corps, with initial assignment at Naval Air Station Adak, AK leading and overseeing the Bachelors Enlisted Quarters, Officer Quarters/Housing, Personal Property and Transportation Office, and the Galley. She completed her four-year commitment and became a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative until her true calling materialized as a homemaker/military spouse, nurturing and providing that stabilizing guidance, support, and motivation for our wonderful kids and the entire family.

Our eldest, Boswyck Offord II, is a Cryptologic Warfare Officer, husband and enormously proud father. Boswyck is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Norfolk State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Summa Cum Laude graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Science in Computer Science, with certifications in space systems operations, cybersecurity fundamentals, cybersecurity defense, and nuclear engineering. Boswyck was commissioned from the Hampton Roads Naval Reserve Officer Training Command in 2009. Between 2010 and 2014, he served at the National Security Agency Georgia /Navy Information Operations Command as an Operations Watch Officer, Battle Watch Captain, and Direct Support Air Operations as a Tactical Information Warfare Officer and Department Head, leading three deployments in support of AFRICOM, EUCOM, and CENTCOM requirements. Serving as the Cryptologic Resource Coordinator for Amphibious Squadron Four between 2014 and 2017, he directed cryptologic operations in the FIFTH Fleet AOR supporting force protection, deterrence, and real-world Indications and Warning to Fleet and national customers. In 2017, Boswyck reported to US Naval Forces Central Command as the Military Deception, Special Access Program, and Electronic Warfare planner in support of operations INHERENT RESOLVE, RESOLUTE SUPPORT, and undisclosed. In 2021, he reported to the Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group as a program manager, overseeing $500M across the future years defense program and closing critical gaps for INDOPACOM and EUOCOM. Currently, Boswyck serves as a C-C5ISRT planner for the Naval Information Warfighting Development Center Hawaii, supporting OUSD, OPNAV, INDOPACOM, NAVWAR and Fleet development and operational employment of a unique C-C5ISRT capability supporting the CNO’s ‘Fight From the MOC’ priority. Boswyck is married to the former Kristen Leong and they have a beautiful daughter, Zhuri. Boswyck will be completing his PhD in the summer of 2025.

Our eldest daughter, Shalani Offord, is a Clinical Psychologist (PsyD), wife and immensely proud mother. Shalani graduated from Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology. She went on to attend Mercer University’s College of Health Professions where she obtained a Master of Science degree in Health Psychology and a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, while completing various practicum rotations with Grady Behavioral Health Systems, Intown Pediatric Behavioral Wellness, and WellStar Atlanta Medical Center. She completed an internship in Clinical and Health Service Psychology at Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, Tennessee, working with a primarily underserved population in the context of an integrated primary care facility. After completion of internship, Shalani was commissioned in July 2020 and completed Officer Development School in August 2020. She then served as a clinical psychology post-doctoral fellow at Naval Medicine Readiness and Training Command Portsmouth completing a combined clinical and health psychology track and providing clinical assistance while underway with USS Gerald R. Ford and embedded rotation with Camp Lejeune, and in the completion of certification for the administration of Battlefield Auricular Acupuncture through the Air Force Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Center. She went on to complete a three-year tour at US NMRTC Guam where she developed four behavioral health groups, and served in several positions including the MTF Family Advocacy Committee Representative, Command Transgender Care Liaison, Command Culture of Retention Action Officer, Command Sponsor, Medical Evaluation Board Authorizing Authority, Mental Health Department Training Coordinator, Mental Health Department Testing and Assessment SME, MHS Video Connect Peer Expert, MHS Genesis URA, MHS Genesis Champion, and MHS Genesis Super User, while serving as staff psychologist, prevention and management of disruptive behavior team lead. She recently attached to Expeditionary Force 150 Bravo, where she has stood up a new Fleet Mental Health Unit for Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), while serving as Division Officer, DMH Representative for Citadel Shield Planning, and as a faculty supervisor for the Naval Medicine Readiness and Training Command Internship program. Shalani is married to Cameron Taylor, and they have a beautiful son Ameer.

Our youngest daughter, Moira Offord graduated from Old Dominion University with an undergraduate degree in Biology and a minor in Military Leadership. She was commissioned in the United States Navy in December 2020 and served as a Naval Officer for over four years. During her service, she has obtained a master’s degree in Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University, where she conducted capstone research on postpartum hemorrhaging and its comorbidities that predispose African American women to an increased risk of mortality. Moira is a crusader for equitable healthcare treatment of BIPOC women in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She utilized her experience as a surgical technologist in obstetrics and gynecology and dived deep into the pathologies that plague African American women. Currently, she is also an adjunct professor at Norfolk State University, teaching in the Biology Department and is furthering research in preeclampsia as one of the panelists for William & Mary’s 15th Annual Lemon Project for equitable healthcare and outreach in March of 2025. Women’s Health has become more than a passion for Moira; it is a lifelong calling to improve healthcare for all women, no matter their ethnic background, with an overall mission to attain medical equity in the world.

Our youngest, Chazz Offord, is a Naval Flight Officer (NFO). He graduated from Norfolk State University, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology. Chazz commissioned in April 2024 via Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. He is now attached to Naval Aviation Schools Command, Pensacola, FL, completing the Naval Introductory Flight Evaluation (NIFE) program in October of 2024. He is expected to commence primary at Training Wing 6 February 2025.

I believe a successful military career is not about the rank you obtain, nor the medals or decorations that adorn your chest; it is about the lives that you impact in a meaningful way and positive manner. As I retired from the military in 2021 the thought of legacy raised its head. I have been asked, what do I consider or think of my legacy. In simple terms, legacy is passed from one generation to the next. It’s those small acts of kindness done well, and without expectation of reward or recognition, that find a special place in people’s hearts and that are the most important. A family legacy is a hope for the future. So, I believe my legacy resides in those that I hopefully impacted in a positive manner; and those that pay it forward and do the same because that is what was done for me.

I’m forever grateful for my career. Life could have taken me in so many different directions. As a young Sailor, I thought I was going to change the world and thought I could do great things. Now many years later, I can say that I did my best to be a good person, a good Shipmate, and a good leader – and maybe that’s enough.

In closing, let me offer these words: “Life is made up of meetings and partings, that’s the way of it; however true fulfilment lies in what you make of the time in between.” I know that I made and continue to make the most of my time in between the meetings and partings because they were/are spent with FAMILY!