Senior Naval Science Instructor
Lieutenant Commander Suzan Hernandez, United States Navy (Retired)
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Fairview Park, Ohio, Lieutenant Commander Hernandez graduated from Ashland University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Education in 1981. She attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and received a commission in November 1984.
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Upon completion of training at Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare and Readiness Training Facility, she began her first operational tour as an Operations Watch Officer (OWO) at Commander Oceanographic Station Pacific, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She then continued serving in the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) at Naval Ocean Processing Facility in Ford Island, Hawaii, Naval Facility Whidbey Island, Washington, Naval Facility Keflavik, Iceland, and Commander Naval Forces, Yokosuka Japan, as an OWO, Current Operations Officer, and Officer In Charge.
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As a Lieutenant from 1990-1994, she served as a Company Officer and Instructor for newly commissioned doctors, lawyers, nurses and nuclear power instructors at Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1996, she reported to Naval Recruiting District, New York as the Executive Officer. Lieutenant Commander Hernandez’ next assignment was as an analyst at Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force. Her final assignment on active duty was at Chief of Naval Education and Training head quarters in Pensacola, Florida as the Program Manager for Navy Equal Opportunity training.
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Lieutenant Commander Hernandez’ personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal (two awards), the Overseas Service Ribbon (three awards) and various unit commendations.
Lieutenant Commander Hernandez retired from active duty service June 1st, 2004, and worked for three years as the NJROTC Senior Naval Science Instructor (SNSI) for Passaic County Technical Institute, in Wayne, New Jersey. Currently she is the SNSI at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, Maryland.