About the Author

ET2/ss Peter J. Koester

Peter J. Koester was born in the city of New York in September of 1967, growing up in Bayside, Queens. After working in the civilian work force for a number of years, including jobs with Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Blockbuster Video and the NYC Department of Transportation – Traffic Enforcement Division, he enlisted in the US Navy in January of 1995 at the age of 27.

Recruit Koester attended Boot Camp at RTC Great Lakes north of Chicago, IL starting on 10 January 1995. Following his graduation with Company 146 in March, Seaman Apprentice Koester transferred to US Naval Submarine School in Groton, CT, where he first attended Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS) before working his way through the brand-new Submarine Electronics Technician Pipeline “A” School, a series of courses that included Basic Electronics Training, Navigation Principles, Interior Communications Principles, Submarine Damage Control and Firefighting. After graduation and thirty days leave, Seaman Koester reported aboard his first sea-going command, USS Providence SSN-719, homeported at US Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, CT, where he was assigned to the Navigation Division.

While assigned aboard the Providence he was promoted to Petty Officer 3^rd Class (ET3) on 16 June 1996 and earned his Dolphins (Submarine Warfare Qualification) on 24 January 1997. Also during his first tour aboard the Providence, which lasted from 31 December 1995 until 16 February 2000, he made two major deployments with his submarine, the first being a Northern Run (Western Atlantic Deployment) from June 1996 to September 1996 with one port call in Tromso, Norway and the second being a Persian Gulf Deployment in support of Operation Southern Watch from February 1998 to August 1998 with port visits to Al’Manama, Bahrain; Dubai and Jebel’Ali, United Arab Emirates; and ending with Toulon, France and Gibraltar during the return trip through the Mediterranean Sea.

Petty Officer Koester transferred to shore duty at Naval Submarine Support Facility New London, Groton, CT on 28 February 2000, where he was assigned to the Repair Division, working at various times out of both halves of the 67-Hotel Shop, the Submarine Mast and Radar Repair side (February 2000 to March 2001) and the Submarine Sail Maintenance and Paint Shop side (March 2001 to February 2003). While assigned to NSSF he was promoted to Petty Officer 2^nd Class (ET2) on 16 June 2000.

Following the completion of shore duty on 3 February 2003, Petty Officer Koester returned to the USS Providence and Navigation Division with one week to prepare for another major deployment. This deployment, to the Mediterranean Sea, lasted from February until August of 2003 and included support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which the Providence launched two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles against Iraqi targets. Port visits during this deployment included La Maddalena, Italy; Koper, Slovenia; Soudha Bay, Crete and once again Gibraltar.

Within weeks of returning from deployment, the crew of Providence prepared the boat for a change of home port, and in October 2003 the Providence moved to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME for the first 688-class Engineered Overhaul. Once settled at the shipyard, Petty Officer Koester was assigned to the Project 719 Maintenance Information Coordination (MIC) Team office, where he served until separating from USS Providence on 29 October 2004 and the US Navy on 14 November 2004.

Besides the Submarine Warfare Qualification Pin, Petty Officer Peter J. Koester is entitled to wear the Navy Achievement Medal, The Naval Unit Commendation (2 Awards), the Meritorious Unit Commendation (2 Awards), the Battle ‘E’, the Good Conduct Medal (3 Awards), the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Medal (2 Awards), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea-Service Deployment Ribbon (3 Awards), the Arctic Service Ribbon and the Rifle Marksman Ribbon.

In November 2001, while still on active duty, Peter joined the Groton Base of the United States Submarine Veterans Inc. He upgraded to USSVI Life Member in December 2005. In January 2004, shortly after moving to northern Massachusetts when the USS Providence entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, he also joined USSVI Marblehead Base in Marblehead, MA. In December 2008 he was elected Commander - Marblehead Base, USSVI and in 2009 was appointed USSVI National Historian. Since January 2013 he currently serves as Base Secretary for Marblehead Base.

In December 2007, Peter joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Georgetown Post 7608. In Spring 2010 he was elected Post Commander of Georgetown Post 7608, where he also serves as Clerk of the Post Board of Directors.

Peter Koester currently resides in Rowley, MA with his wife Michele Peterson. He is currently employed as a US Navy contractor working out of an office in Dover, NH.

To Contact the Author: SubGuySS@verizon.net

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