Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Eason graduated from Spring Valley High School, Columbia, South Carolina in May 1981. He enlisted in the United States Navy as Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) in June 1981 and reported to Recruit Training Command, Orlando, Florida with follow-on Cryptologic training at Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida. Upon graduation from CTM CLASS “A” school, he completed AN/UYK-20, TACINTEL and OUTBOARD maintenance class “C” schools, a total of 108 weeks of training.

From November 1983 to November 1986, he was assigned to USS Merrill (DD 976) which deployed in 1986 with the USS New Jersey Battle Group. Upon completion of his sea tour he was returned to NTTC Corry Station from December 1986 to May 1990 as an OUTBOARD maintenance Class “C” school, a 36-week course of instruction and advanced to CTMC in September 1990.

Lieutenant Commander Eason was accepted and participated in the Enlisted Commissioning Program from May 1990 to May 1991. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Electronics Resources Management Bachelor of Science degree from Troy University and received his commission as a Cryptologic Officer while assigned to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.

After commissioning, he reported to Naval Security Station, Washington, D.C. where he completed Cryptologic Division Officer Course, before reporting to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS), WESTPAC Guam. While assigned to NCTAMS WESTPAC, Guam from January 1992 to December 1993, he served as Assistant Electronics Materiel Division Officer and Assistant CLASSIC WIZARD Division Officer.

He reported to Naval Security Group Activity, Adak, Alaska, from January 1994 to January 1995. During his tour served as CLASSIC WIZARD division officer and completed his tour as the Operations Department Head.

Following his assignment to NSGA Adak, he reported to Commander, Naval Security Group Command (COMNAVSECGRU), Fort George G. Meade, Maryland from March 1995 to February 1998. While at COMNAVSECGRU, he served as director, Electronic Installations group, N44E and later as a N3/N5 (Plans and Policy) action officer. Upon completion of his COMNAVSECGRU assignment, he reported to the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) as the Cryptologic Division Officer from February 1998 to May 2000, where he provided Cryptologic support during the Kosovo campaign and Operation Southern Watch.

Following his at sea division officer tour, he reported to the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Central Command/COMFIFTHFLT and served in the Intelligence Directorate, N2 as the SCI Communications Officer/SCI Information Systems Security Manager from July 2000 to July 2001.

Following his assignment to COMFIFTHFLT, he reported to the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Air Forces Atlantic August 2001 where he served as the Intelligence Directorate, N2 staff Cryptologist and retired 1 August 2004. After retiring he worked as a contractor for Centurum, SRA International and Booz Allen and Hamilton before transitioning to government service in 2010.

He is presently serving as a government civilian on the OPNAV staff in the Crypto-Electronic and Cyber Warfare (N2N6W) Division as the Surface Cryptologic and Electronic Warfare branch head, where he is responsible for funding and requirements affecting the surface Electronic Warfare and C-C5ISRT capabilities. While assigned to OPNAV, he completed his Master of Systems Analysis Degree from the Naval Post Graduate School in March 2013 and completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith, in July 2017.

Pictured with Cleveland is his father, Mr. Eason. The second photo is of Cleve with his father.  Cleveland’s father was a US Army First Sergeant, who completed two combat tours in Vietnam and was an Army boot camp drill instructor before retiring with 20 years of honorable service.  His father was a man of integrity, character, and selflessness.