Donald B. Abele, CMDCM (SS/EXW)
Deputy Director
Faculty Advisor
Senior Enlisted Academy
Profile
Command Master Chief Donald B. Abele, Jr. enlisted in the Navy in 1987 and attended boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. His follow-on training includes Hospital Corpsman School in Great Lakes, Illinois; Histopathology Technician School in Washington, D.C.; Basic Enlisted Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut; and Submarine Independent Duty Corpsman School, in Groton, Connecticut.
He is a 2006 honor graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy and COB/CMC course in Newport, Rhode Island. He is also a graduate of the Expeditionary Combat Skills course in Gulfport, Mississippi and the Journeyman Instructor Training Course in Dam Neck, Virginia. He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Health Care Management from TUI University and an Arabic Language and Culture Certificate from the University of West Florida.
His shore duty assignments include Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, California; the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.; Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Naval Medical Clinic, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
His sea duty assignments include USS JACKSONVILLE (SSN 699), Norfolk, Virginia; USS FLORIDA (SSBN 728) Gold Crew, Bangor, Washington; USS FLORIDA (SSBN 728) Blue Crew, Kings Bay, Georgia; and USS FLORIDA (SSGN 728), Portsmouth, Virginia.
He participated in Joint Task Force, Full Accounting deploying to the jungles of Vietnam and Laos and deployed in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. He made three North Atlantic security patrols, a Mediterranean deployment, and three strategic deterrent patrols. He also deployed numerous times in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.
He was selected to the Command Senior Chief program in 2005 and converted to Command Master Chief in 2008. His command tours include USS CONSTITUTION, Boston, Massachusetts; Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron TWO, Portsmouth, Virginia; and Commander Task Group 56.5, Camp Patriot, Kuwait.
He reported to the Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island in November 2010 as a Faculty Advisor and assumed the duties of the Deputy Director in November 2011.
CMDCM(SS/EXW) Abele is qualified to wear the Enlisted Submarine Warfare insignia, the Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist insignia, and the SSBN Deterrent Patrol Pin (two stars). His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal (three awards), Navy Achievement Medal (four awards), and various other unit, service, and campaign awards.
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