Celebrating a career that spanned more than 36 years of public service, Carol Berry, Ed. D., director of the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), retired May 22 during a ceremony at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

Berry's career in voluntary education (VOLED) began in 1979 at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, where she was the director of the Navy Campus office. Following her tour in Iceland, she moved to the Hampton Roads area, where she first directed the NAS Norfolk, Virginia. Navy Campus Office (NCO) and then the NAS Oceana NCO in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 2003, she became the Southeast Regional director of Navy College programs, overseeing NCOs throughout the southeast region of the U.S. including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2010, Berry became the director of DANTES in Pensacola, Florida.

As DANTES director, Berry led a staff that provided valuable educational opportunities and programs for service members and veterans. DANTES supports the off-duty voluntary education programs of the Department of Defense (DoD) and conducts special projects and development activities in support of education-related functions of the DoD. DANTES programs include providing various examinations, such as high school equivalency, college admissions and college credit, and an extensive number of certification and licensing exams. DANTES also supports the Joint Services Transcript and manages the Troops to Teachers program.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was retired Rear Adm. Don Quinn, former commander of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

"I know of no one who has committed their life to empowering others more than Dr. Carol Berry," said Quinn. "She is a great teacher who will be missed, but her legacy will live on in the millions of Sailors and service members whose lives have been made better by living the simple axiom 'For also knowledge itself is power'."

Also attending the ceremony was Dawn Bilodeau, chief of Department of Defense Voluntary Education. She commended Berry's 36 years of service and presented her with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence.

"In her five years as DANTES director, Dr. Berry has done some amazing work; she has been exceptionally supportive of voluntary education and the Department of Defense," said Bilodeau. "I've only known her for a couple of years, but in that time we've been able to make miracles happen together for VOLED and our service members."

Berry said that her nearly four decades of service in VOLED has been not only an incredible journey, but has also allowed her to work with some amazing and dedicated people.

"Working with the staff, the service chiefs, education center personnel, high-level leadership, institutional partners and service members made for exciting days and some sleepless nights, but in all, serving the greatest military in the world has been a great experience."

At the close of the ceremony, Berry was also presented the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award by the NETC Chief of Staff, Capt. John Jones.

For more information on the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, visit the DANTES website: http://dantes.doded.mil/ .

Additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command can be found on the NETC Web pages: https://www.netc.navy.mil.

For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.