Brother, Sister Chief Petty Officers Reenlist in Newport

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- Brother and sister chief petty officers reenlisted April 30 in a ceremony at Naval Station Newport, R.I.

Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic (AW) Dave Anderson, a recruiter in Dartmouth, Mass., for Navy Recruiting District New England, and Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW) Dawn Calhoun, a recruit division commander for Officer Training Command (OTC), Newport, R.I., said they wanted to take advantage of finally being stationed near each other and have a joint ceremony.

"We have only seen each other three times in 19 years," said Anderson. "Now we live two blocks away from each other."

Capt. J. A. McBreadty, commanding officer of OTC Newport, was the presiding officer at the ceremony.

McBreadty said the event marked the first time he reenlisted siblings and most certainly his first brother and sister. He said that the beginning pipelines of the Navy are in good hands with Anderson recruiting the Navy's new Sailor's and Calhoun training new naval officers.

"These two are a great introduction to military service," said McBreadty. "They are a great example of what to expect of the military – they are models to emulate."

Anderson, the older sibling of the two chiefs, enlisted in the Navy in 1989 and said his sister followed in his footsteps a few years later. Calhoun admitted to following Anderson into the Navy but was quick to point out that she was the senior of the two chiefs.

"I guess I followed his footsteps as far as joining," Calhoun said with a grin. "But I made first class and chief before him."
The two chiefs' mother, Marsha Anderson, who lives with Calhoun and works at the naval station uniform shop, was in attendance and said she was extremely proud of both of them.

"It is wonderful being the mother of two chiefs," she said. "They have been apart for so long it is great having them both so close together again."

Unfortunately for mom, however, the family reunion is almost over.

Anderson will be continuing his recruiting efforts in New England while Calhoun will be leaving soon to do some recruiting of her own with Navy Recruiting District Ohio.

For more news from Navy Recruiting District New England, visit www.navy.mil/local/nrdne/.