Nashville businessman answers the call
WASHINGTON (USTCNS) --- John M. Stewart Jr., former president of Southern Computer Exchange and Data Processing Equipment Corporation, of Nashville, Tenn., answered the call after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Stewart is a rear admiral in the U.S. Naval Reserve and one of thousands of reservists who either volunteered or were called up after the terrorist attacks.
Following the attacks, Navy Vice Adm. John Totushek, commander, Naval Reserve Force, asked Stewart if he would be willing to serve as the deputy director to Vice Adm. Pat Tracey, Director of Navy Staff at the Pentagon for 90 days.
"Though the job I was requested to do was not my wartime (mobilization) billet, I felt it was important for me to do whatever I could to help the Navy, and I said yes," said Rear Adm. Stewart.
Ten days later, the Navy decided Stewart was actually needed most for a five-month tour as the vice commander of the Navy's Military Sealift Command, a Washington, D.C., headquartered command that provides ocean transportation service for the entire Department of Defense.
Today he is second in command of an 8,000-person workforce and a global fleet of more than 110 Navy ships daily supporting deployed U.S. forces around the world. As vice commander of MSC, Stewart plays an integral role overseeing the day-to-day business operations of the command that provides critical logistical support to U.S. and allied forces assigned to Operation Enduring Freedom.
Stewart brings not only 30 years of naval experience-four years in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Vanderbilt University, six years on active duty and 20 years in the Naval Reserve-but also his 16 years as president of a computer service and networking firm.
"My background leading a business that had to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing market is helpful at a command like MSC," said Stewart. "This is a challenging business environment, and we have lots of irons in the fire."
MSC's commander, Navy Rear Adm. David L. Brewer III, had come aboard just weeks prior to Sept. 11, and the vice commander billet was empty. Stewart is normally the mobilization commander of MSC Atlantic, MSC Europe and MSC Central, and his knowledge of MSC is an asset to Brewer. Having Stewart aboard also enables Brewer to delegate some day-to-day business to the vice commander, so Brewer can get out to visit the MSC fleet.
One of Stewart's first actions upon arrival at MSC was traveling to New York City with Brewer Sept. 27.
One of the Navy's two hospital ships, USNS Comfort-an MSC asset-was on station in midtown Manhattan providing logistics services to disaster relief workers. They visited the ship to meet with MSC civilians and Sailors on site to thank them for their hard work. The two admirals also visited New York's Office of Emergency Management headquarters for an overview of the disaster relief project and toured Ground Zero to see the men and women being supported by the hospital ship.
Stewart will be the vice commander through March 2002, when an active duty rear admiral is scheduled to report to MSC.
Stewart is a native of Birmingham, Ala., and attended Vanderbilt University on a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. He served six years on active duty and has remained in the Naval Reserve since leaving active duty. He completed a master's of business administration from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management in 1982 and started his own computer company-Southern Computer Exchange, which later became Data Processing Equipment Corporation.
Stewart sold his business to SARCOM in 1998 and retired from the civilian business world in 2000. He was selected to the rank of rear admiral in 2001 -- becoming one of only 48 flag officers in the Naval Reserve. For more information on Military Sealift Command or Rear Adm. Stewart, visit the command web site at www.msc.navy.mil.
(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
Stewart is a rear admiral in the U.S. Naval Reserve and one of thousands of reservists who either volunteered or were called up after the terrorist attacks.
Following the attacks, Navy Vice Adm. John Totushek, commander, Naval Reserve Force, asked Stewart if he would be willing to serve as the deputy director to Vice Adm. Pat Tracey, Director of Navy Staff at the Pentagon for 90 days.
"Though the job I was requested to do was not my wartime (mobilization) billet, I felt it was important for me to do whatever I could to help the Navy, and I said yes," said Rear Adm. Stewart.
Ten days later, the Navy decided Stewart was actually needed most for a five-month tour as the vice commander of the Navy's Military Sealift Command, a Washington, D.C., headquartered command that provides ocean transportation service for the entire Department of Defense.
Today he is second in command of an 8,000-person workforce and a global fleet of more than 110 Navy ships daily supporting deployed U.S. forces around the world. As vice commander of MSC, Stewart plays an integral role overseeing the day-to-day business operations of the command that provides critical logistical support to U.S. and allied forces assigned to Operation Enduring Freedom.
Stewart brings not only 30 years of naval experience-four years in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Vanderbilt University, six years on active duty and 20 years in the Naval Reserve-but also his 16 years as president of a computer service and networking firm.
"My background leading a business that had to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing market is helpful at a command like MSC," said Stewart. "This is a challenging business environment, and we have lots of irons in the fire."
MSC's commander, Navy Rear Adm. David L. Brewer III, had come aboard just weeks prior to Sept. 11, and the vice commander billet was empty. Stewart is normally the mobilization commander of MSC Atlantic, MSC Europe and MSC Central, and his knowledge of MSC is an asset to Brewer. Having Stewart aboard also enables Brewer to delegate some day-to-day business to the vice commander, so Brewer can get out to visit the MSC fleet.
One of Stewart's first actions upon arrival at MSC was traveling to New York City with Brewer Sept. 27.
One of the Navy's two hospital ships, USNS Comfort-an MSC asset-was on station in midtown Manhattan providing logistics services to disaster relief workers. They visited the ship to meet with MSC civilians and Sailors on site to thank them for their hard work. The two admirals also visited New York's Office of Emergency Management headquarters for an overview of the disaster relief project and toured Ground Zero to see the men and women being supported by the hospital ship.
Stewart will be the vice commander through March 2002, when an active duty rear admiral is scheduled to report to MSC.
Stewart is a native of Birmingham, Ala., and attended Vanderbilt University on a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. He served six years on active duty and has remained in the Naval Reserve since leaving active duty. He completed a master's of business administration from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management in 1982 and started his own computer company-Southern Computer Exchange, which later became Data Processing Equipment Corporation.
Stewart sold his business to SARCOM in 1998 and retired from the civilian business world in 2000. He was selected to the rank of rear admiral in 2001 -- becoming one of only 48 flag officers in the Naval Reserve. For more information on Military Sealift Command or Rear Adm. Stewart, visit the command web site at www.msc.navy.mil.
(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
Follow Us On:
