We Are MSC: CWO4 Timothy A. Camacho

Photo By LaShawn Sykes | Congratulations to Chief Warrant Officer Four Timothy A. Camacho (left) who was recently promoted to the rank of CW04. On hand to pin Camacho was his lovely bride Vivan Griet (right). Camacho is one of Military Sealift Command Atlantic’s mission critical employees serving as the officer in charge in MSCLANT 's port office at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. He and his staff coordinate the loading and unloading of 15 MSC ships a year in order to support the command’s critical mission to deliver on-time supplies and replenishment services to the Navy ships at sea. Some of the ships are nearly aircraft-carrier size, with loads of more than 100,000 square feet of cargo holds and other large-size military equipment. The total annual square footage loaded at NWS Earle equals approximately 1.5 million square feet or enough to cover all 32 NFL football fields with ammo, support equipment, and food. Camacho has dedicated the last 24 years of his life to military service with the Navy and the last three years with MSCLANT.  

NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES

09.05.2021

Story by LaShawn Sykes 

USN Military Sealift Command

Introduction: A native of Pottstown, Pa., I am the youngest of three boys – all of whom have served in the military. At 25, I joined the U.S. Navy in 1997 and have never looked back. My first military assignment, upon completion of MK 86 “A” and “C” schools, was as a fire controlman apprentice aboard the USS Cowpens (CG 63), in San Diego, Calif.

In June 2000, then FC3 Timothy A. Camacho, I was meritoriously advanced to FC2 while on the way to Japan to conduct the first ever Cruiser crew swap aboard USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) in the Pacific coast. While attached to Mobile Bay, I was the leading technician for MK86 Gun Fire Control System, along with being the divisional damage control petty officer. While onboard Mobile Bay, I advanced fairly quickly to first class petty officer and was part of the very successful, Cruiser Optimal manning experiment.

In February 2005, then FC1 Camacho, I attended Basic Instructor School and transferred to Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific Fleet (EWTGPAC) on Coronado, where I reached a major military milestone, advancing to the rank of chief petty officer in 2005. While at EWTGPAC, now Chief Camacho, I attained my Master Training Specialist, along with being named EWTGPAC’s senior enlisted instructor of the year in 2007.

In September of 2008, I went on a GSA tour to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for seven months with the Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay (JTFGTMO), where I was the liaison between JTFGTMO, NAVSTA Guantanamo Bay, US Southern Command, and the Pentagon.

After detaching from Guantanamo Bay, I reported to USS Cape St George (CG-71) in June 2009. Three years later, I was humbled and honored to be selected to the rank of senior chief petty officer. During this tour, I conducted countless all caliber weapons shoots, qualifying dozens of Sailors for watch-standings and on their systems. In 2014, I was humbled again when I was selected to the rank of chief warrant officer.

In 2014, I reported onboard USS Howard (DDG-83) to be the system test officer. Aboard Howard for four years, I conducted multiple exercises to include Northern Edge and RIMPAC, along with the first-ever emergent dry docking of a Destroyer in Portland, Ore., all the while staying 100 percent operational running two Combat System scenarios a week while in dry dock for three months.

In 2018, I was attached to AMMOPAC on Coronado, Calif., where I sourced hundreds of documents for ammunition for ships, submarines, aircraft and personnel for the Navy, Coast Guard and the Marine Corps for the Pacific Fleet.

I am the recipient of the Joint Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy Achievement Medal (six awards) and Good Conduct medal (five awards), and various other unit and service awards.

What is your name, job title, and job location and start date?
My name is Timothy A. Camacho; I am a U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer Four with 24 years of military service. Since August 2019, I have faithfully served as the officer in charge in Military Sealift Command Atlantic’s port office at Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWS Earle) in New Jersey.

What is unique about your job at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey?
While NWS Earle’s main base is located in Colts Neck, N.J., my office and most of my operations occur in Leonardo, N.J., approximately 18 miles away from the main base. This separation impacts coordination and planning efforts, which create challenges for daily operations, training, and even when deciding on a simple thing – like where to hold a meeting. In addition, NWS Earle’s location is away from most support elements. As a consequence, the ability to complete tasks on time can be more challenging when support elements are not in the same vicinity as the operation. For example, I operate in a fleet concentration area, where things like crane services are not difficult to navigate, but when your crane services are located two hours away from Earle and the crane service reps have to drive through heavily populated areas, where traffic jams are commonplace, it often takes a lot more coordination and planning to prevent operational delays.

What are your unique duties?
In my 24 years of military service, I’ve had the privilege of working with civilians. No challenge there – right? Not quite true. When I was offered the position at Earle, I was excited because I believed I was familiar with working with civilians at MSC and believed that my working relationships with the New York City harbor police and customs agents would be same. So I should fit right in - right? Not true. They communicate much differently than the military. And as a consequence, I had to quickly learn and understand new lingo, which was both unique and interesting. By learning their lingo, I am now able to have effective communications with MSC’s external partners.

What type of military training or education have you taken to prepare you to work at NSW Earl?
I wouldn’t put my finger on any one specific area of military training or education that has prepared me for my current assignment. I believe my 24 years of military service, working at diverse commands, and my innate ability to build support networks along the way, prepared me to work at NWS Earle. What makes me successful in this position is the people with whom I serve and work with each and every day. It is the people who directly contribute to the success MSC has enjoyed for years at all of its six outports – NWS Earle, Beaumont in Texas, Charleston in South Carolina, Jacksonville and Port Canaveral in Florida, and Sunny Pointe in North Carolina.

What does a typical day look like for you?
There is no such thing as a typical day at NWS Earle. If we have a ship in port, most of the day is spent on the pier making sure operations are moving along smoothly, and we are meeting our timeline. Interestingly enough, there are no two days of operations that are ever the same. The biggest factor is the weather. One day you are operating in perfect conditions with temperatures in the upper 70’s, with low humidity, and the next day operations are halted due to a lightning storm. The winter time creates the most challenging times with the cold temperatures and higher than normal winds, along with the beautiful white snow.

What is the best thing about working at NSW Earle?
There are many great things about working at NWS Earle. Everyone always says the people, but it is true. The people here are awesome and very supportive. If you enjoy nature, the base is overloaded with deer. You can wake up in the morning and look out your window and observe deer grazing in your front yard. If you like fishing, you can fish off the pier during both non-operations and after working hours. It is a quiet place to work, and it really has a family atmosphere. Although a small base, it feels like a small town where everyone knows everyone.

What is the most challenging part of your work at NSW Earle?
The most challenging part about my position is keeping ships on schedule. There are so many factors that are out of our control that can slow down operations like weather or a crane breaking down. If a crane breaks down, it takes two hours, at a minimum, just to get someone here to repair it, not to mention how long it takes the person to trouble shoot and repair the problem.

What is your most favorite memory at sea?
After almost 16 years of sea time, trying to determine my most favorite memory at sea is almost impossible. There are so many things that Sailors experience at sea, whether it’s an evolution like launching and recovering aircraft or conducting an underway replenishment with an MSC US Naval Service Ship or seeing whales breach in the middle of the ocean. For most of these experiences, the average person will never get to encounter. However, I will say I did see one thing that left me in awe, seeing the Southern Cross. I had never heard of the Southern Cross at this point, so when I was outside and saw this huge cross in the sky, for the very first time, I was just awestruck.

What would you tell someone who is interested in joining MSC?
I would absolutely recommend MSC for both the military and civilians. It is not necessarily easy work, but I believe it is rewarding work. You are supporting your country in a unique and special way, by supporting the Navy’s war-fighters at sea. You get the opportunity to travel and experience things that most people wouldn’t; while at the same time, you get paid to travel and see some of the most exotic places in the world. It is a gift and a blessing to be a part of MSC.

• Date Taken: 09.05.2021
• Date Posted: 09.05.2021 18:46
• Story ID: 404568
• Location: NORFOLK, VA, US