This week’s veteran is Dan McKaughan, who commissioned with the United States Navy in 1996 and retired in 2016. Native to Montgomery County, Dan was just 13 years old when the exciting Top Gun movie hit the big screen. He knew right away that he wanted to serve in the military and that he wanted to be a pilot. His senior year in high school, he applied to each major U.S. military academy. A special call directly to Dan from the Superintendent of the Naval Academy sealed the deal.
At the Naval Academy from 1992 thru 1996, Dan focused on getting his degree in Ocean Engineering. During his limited free time, he became an Athletic Trainer for the Naval Academy’s football team. Dan advises this role was actually a glorified water boy for the team, but also got him on-field access to all home football games and to many of the away games.
After Naval Academy graduation and commission to Ensign, Dan was directly assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola Florida for Naval Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API). This 8 week course focuses on aerodynamics, aviation physiology, water survival, and the dreaded “Dilbert Dunker”, a simulated cockpit that flips inverted underwater to teach escape procedures. Next, he transitioned to Naval Air Station Corpus, in Corpus Christi, Texas, for primary flight training.
This school involves much more intensive and advanced pilot training.
In June of 1997, just after primary flight training, and just before intermediate flight training, Dan married his wonderful wife, and they’re now married for 29 years. Based on the needs of the service, flight training performance, and academic scoring amongst peers, the Navy decides which aircraft pilots are assigned to. Dan says God had a plan for him, “Low and Slow”. He was then stationed at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, near Milton Florida, for Advanced Flight helicopter training. In April 1998 he became an official Naval Aviator and qualified to wear the coveted “Wings of Gold” on his uniform.
Next, Dan reported to Naval Station Mayport for SH-60/B Seahawk training. The Seahawk helicopter is similar to the well known Blackhawk, and is modified
and equipped specifically for shipboard maritime warfare with specialized sensors and weapons systems. This flying lethal weapon carries torpedoes,
anti-ship missiles and mass machine guns for self-defense. Dan’s training began with the Fleet Replacement Squadron, HSL-40, which serves as the final training step for personnel before they join operational fleet squadrons. This training focuses on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Warfare (SUW), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Fleet Readiness. He then transitioned to HSL-42, known as “The Proud Warriors”, which is an Anti-Submarine Squadron Light for the Navy.
During his time in the Navy, Dan did two major deployments. The first was on the USS Spruance (DD-963) which was, at the time of her commissioning in 1975, a groundbreaking U.S. Navy destroyer that played a key role in NATO operations in the Mediterranean, specifically as part of the Standing Naval Force Mediterranean. The ship’s role was to support a multi-national presence, operating alongside ships from Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and the UK as part of the unified NATO task force. Dan describes this as “the boondoggle cruise”. They stayed in ports throughout Europe and the Mediterranean for nearly 100 days out of the 180 day deployment. The 2nd Deployment was on the USS Nicholas (FFG-47) which was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate that earned significant distinction for its combat and escort roles in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf (often designated as Middle East Force or MEF deployments). This deployment coincided with the tragic events and attacks of 9/11, 2001. Dan and several of his fellow officers found themselves on shore leave in Malta that fateful day. Due to the immediate threat of terrorism, their ship promptly pulled anchor and left port without them.
Luckily, a local working on the pier had a VHF radio and was able to get a tug boat to take Dan and his buddies back to their ship at sea. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the USS Nicholas remained close to the shores of Crete and ultimately returned to the NAS Mayport in October of 2001.
Dan says his favorite job in the Navy is while he was stationed at NAS Whiting Field, where he was a primary flight fixed wing instructor. He found great satisfaction in helping young men and women Naval Aviators get started in their flying careers. Both of Dan’s children were born during this tour. In 2005, Dan moved his family to North Island, San Diego, California to become a “Shooter” (officially an Aircraft Launch and Recovery Officer) on the USS Nimitz. The Shooter is responsible for performing the last visual check of the catapult, the
aircraft’s configuration, and flight deck personnel before giving the iconic signal to fire the catapult. They also supervise the recovery of aircraft, ensuring the arresting gear and visual landing aids are ready. While assigned to the Nimitz Dan was also the Fuels Division Officer, which is responsible for the ship’s entire aviation fuel system.
Following the tour on board Nimitz, Dan reported to the HSL-47 Saberhawks, where he deployed on the USS Curts, FFG-38, as the Detachment Officer in Charge. That deployment started in the West Pacific but then ultimately to the volatile Gulf Region, where the primary role was Oil Platform defense. Dan later earned a Masters of Computer Science Degree while attending Post Graduate School while stationed at Monterey, California. While in Monterey, Dan met and became friends with one of the original owners of the restaurant chain: Crepes of Brittany.
In 2012, Dan served at the Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain, and was the liaison officer between the Navy’s 5th fleet Commander and the U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain. Dan spent his last years in the Navy as Base Operations Officer at Naval Support Activity, Monterey, California and he retired from there in 2016. After the Navy, Dan moved his family back to Montgomery, Texas. He worked a few years in the family construction business. It was during this time that Dan and his wife rekindled their friendship with the owner of Crepes of Brittany. After a little training on how to make crepes in his own kitchen and after a lot of prayer and discussion, Dan and his wife decided to take the giant leap of faith to open their own Crepes of Brittany restaurant, open today and located at 19786 Highway 105 W, Unit 100, Montgomery, Texas. Their success comes from their motto “Spreading Joy, One Crepe at a Time!” Dan enjoys the entrepreneurial spirit and challenges of operating his own business and readily admits that he still misses “wearing the uniform”. Good luck Dan, and thank you for your service! Congratulations on being MCN’s Veteran of the Week.