After 35 years of dedicated service to the United States Navy and his country a Navy captain retired during a ceremony aboard the historic ship Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum and Library in Groton, May 13.

Capt. Bruce Derenski had a diverse career in the Navy, ranging from tours below the ocean in submarines to commanding a forward operating base in Iraqi desert, but said primarily he considered himself a boat builder.

"I've had plenty of sea and shore tours and some surreal expeditions to some exotic territory, but if I slapped a three-word label on my job, the one I'm proudest of, I'd say that most of the time for 35 years I built boats," said Derenski. "My first partner in shipbuilding was my brother Scott. When I was four Scott and I nailed birch logs to a wooden flower box and we commenced sea trials in a creek by our house. I didn't have the words back then to articulate a sudden rapid in rush of sea water greatly exceeding the capacity of the drain pump, but when we were done we certainly understood the concept of flooding. We had catastrophically failed in designing a surface ship, but I had built my first submarine."

Derenski's last assignment as Submarine Forces Atlantic's (SUBLANT) representative for Shipyard Affairs allowed him to finish his career getting today's submarines repaired and back to sea and helping to build tomorrow's submarines.

"I learned to measure success by different yardsticks than days on mission or time in trail," said Derenski. "Ship after ship, time after time, against the most formidable, stack up of obstacles, we built boats. I may not have taken them all to sea, but there is so much of my blood and tears in the steel of those ships that whenever I see them coming and going years later I feel like I'm going with them."

The Six Lakes, Michigan, native, graduated from Lakeview High School and enlisted in the Navy's Nuclear Power Program in 1981. As one of the first 50 candidates in the Nuclear Enlisted Commissioning Program, he graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics in 1986, and was commissioned at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1987.

Following nuclear training and Submarine School, Derenski reported to the Gold Crew of USS Florida (SSBN 728), in Bangor, Washington, where he first met the eventual guest speaker at his retirement ceremony, Vice Adm. Rick Breckenridge, deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces.

Breckenridge spoke of the relationship, which has endured for nearly 30 years.

"We're really here today because of very special friends, Sue and Bruce Derenski for the most endearing way that they have touched our hearts and I would say even our souls. We are all better people because of the impact of these dear people."

Breckenridge also recognized the long professional relationship between he and Derenski.

"I want to personally thank you for saving my life from the jaws of defeat too many time, all the way back to Florida and many other scores, but most recently as my chief of staff at Submarine Group 2. You are a consummate professional and loyal in every respect. You are always there to support and help me. You've made us all better people, but you have made me a better man, a better leader and a better person, and for that I personally thank you."

Derenski's submarine sea tours also included serving as chief engineer for USS West Virginia's (SSBN 736) Gold crew and executive officer of USS Toledo (SSN 769).

"I used to think that you only got one great boat in an entire career, the one where everything works, the one you would choose to sail to the gate of hell itself, but I was wrong, because it isn't even that common," Derenski said of Toledo. "Most Sailors spend their whole professional lives without ever being part of something like that, but there I began to understand the synergy, that's the wrong word, the magic of a superbly built ship in the hands of a highly capable crew."

Derenski's passion for building and maintaining boats was stoked by several tours throughout his career. He served as USS New Hampshire's (SSN 778) commanding officer during initial construction and outfitting phase at Electric Boat Shipyard. He later served as Commander, Submarine Group Seven's material officer aboard USS Frank Cable (AS-40).

Another tour where he helped keep submarines on scene, unseen was as Submarine Squadron 4's deputy commander for Readiness in Groton, where Derenski, oversaw the material conditions of and training for four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines and all Seawolf-class submarines.

Derenski also served as SUBLANT's representative at Electric Boat Shipyard and as the material officer and chief of staff at Submarine Group 2, in Groton.

Throughout his career, Derenski has proven to be adaptable when faced with new challenges. Derenski taught Navy ROTC at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and earned a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

A tour commanding Forward Operating Base Camp Bucca, the third largest base in Iraq, and the world's largest detention operation, took Derenski far from his submarine roots in a mission unlike any he had been assigned in his career. He commanded a joint force, on an Army facility, but was still a submariner.

"It may have been an Army field, but it was a Navy game, and we built boats there," said Derenski.

Derenski said one of his proudest moments came when the newest Chief Petty Officers lined up like ceremonial side boys to salute him as he departed the command for the last time.

Derenski summed up his 35-year career by saying, "I loved what I did and who I did it with. I think there are three big things in a professional life. There's what you can do, there's what you should do and there's what you want to do. And how lucky was I that all three were the same thing? The luckiest man I know."

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