Douglas Karr served as an Electrician's Mate 2nd Class, Surface Warfare Qualified, from 1986 to 1992. He served on board two ships, the USS Coontz DDG-40 and the USS Spartanburg County LST-1192. On board the Spartanburg County, Doug was the Electrical Safety Petty Officer and awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for his work during Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
Of his time in the Navy, Douglas says "I loved being in the Navy. There were many times in the middle of the night that I would sit up on deck in the moonlight and just listen to the waves as we plowed through the Atlantic. The air was crisp and fresh, the water was beautiful, and it was so silent. There's no way to describe it."
While on board the USS Coontz DDG-40, Douglas traveled to Philadelphia for the vessel's decommissioning. During his 3-plus years on the USS Spartansburg County, Douglas braved Hurricane Hugo to provide assistance to the Puerto Rican territory and also provided nine months of support during the Desert Storm and Desert Shield conflicts, during which he received many awards for his service as the Electrical Safety Petty Officer. Douglas also spent some time in Yugoslavia and stated that his years aboard the USS Spartansburg County led to his growth in "leadership and maturity." It was aboard the USS Spartansburg County that Douglas "had my greatest love for the Navy."
Like many sailors, Douglas ultimately left the Navy for his family. Douglas shares the sentiments of many Navy personnel, both current and retired, and says "I'll never regret going into the Navy."
Honorably discharged from the United States Navy almost seventeen years ago, Douglas has collaborated with The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance to write for our Veterans Blog, and is passionate about sharing his experiences with other veterans and members of the military community. In addition, Douglas maintains a social networking website exclusively for Navy vets, NavyVets.com, and runs his Online Marketing Agency, DK New Media. Douglas resides in Indianapolis, IN with his two children, Bill and Katie.
