Supply Corps, United States Navy
Executive Officer, FISC Sigonella
Commander Dawn D. Richardson was born in Baltimore, Maryland and spent most of her formative
years near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Restaurant,
Hotel and Instituational Management in 1983 from Purdue University. Upon graduation, she
accepted a position with the San Antonio Marriott North as Assistant Restaurant and Room
Service Manager. After a year, she went with the Magic Pan Restaurants and worked for them
for five years leaving as a General Manager.
In April 1989, OCUI-2 Richardson reported to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.
She was commissioned an Ensign 28 July 1989 and proceeded to Navy Supply Corps School in
Georgia. ENS Richardson's first tour of duty was as the Food Service and Billeting Officer
at Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. Operation Desert
Shield/Storm made this tour exciting as she served from March 1990 through July 1991.
LTJG Richardson reported aboard USS SIMON LAKE (AS-33) in Holy Loch, Scotland as the Sales
and Services Officer (S-3). She eliminated over $72,000 worth of dead stock and her division
achieved stock-turn for the first time in over five years. After nine months, she was
transferred to Repair of Other Vessels/Supply Support (ROVSS S-7) and Submarine Supply
Assistance Team (SUBSAT S-9) divisions for the remaining eighteen months of her tour. It was
the first time a non-submarine qualified officer or a Lieutenant junior grade had held either
of these jobs. Her tour encompassed the closure of Holy Loch, the eleven-month refit of the
ship from an SSBN to an SSN tender in Norfolk, and assuming duties in La Maddalena, Sardinia,
Italy as the Mediterranean duty tender. She earned her Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer
pin, qualified as Underway Officer of the Deck, and was designated a Submarine Support Officer.
She also earned her Blue Nose.
Her next tour was as a Navy Acquisition Contracting Officer intern at Naval Sea Systems
Command in Arlington, Virginia. From October 1993 through December 1995, she worked in the
AEGIS and Undersea Warfare directorates. She completed Defense Acquisition Workforce Initiative
Act requirements for a Level 2 in Contracting and a Level 3 in Purchasing. She also completed
the Business Resources Management Program at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the
University of Virginia.
Following the Supply Officer Department Head Course at Navy Supply Corps School, LT Richardson
served as the Supply Officer aboard the USS TORTUGA (LSD-46) homeported at the Little Creek
Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Virginia from February 1996 through June 1998. She completed a
highly successful six-month Mediterranean cruise, a challenging two-month West African Training
Cruise, a very favorable Logistics Management Assessment, and earned the sixth and seventh
consecutive Supply Blue "E"s during her tour. She was also transformed from a lowly polywog
to a Shellback during this tour.
From June 1998 through March 2000, LCDR Richardson was a student at the Naval Postgraduate
School in Monterey, California. She earned a Master of Science in Transportation Logistics
Management, was awarded the Naval Postgraduate School Superior Service Award and completed
the Air Command and Staff College Joint Professional Military Education Phase I. During this
tour, she was selected into the Acquisition Professional Community. She proceeded to Armed
Forces Staff College and, from April through June 2000, completed Joint Professional Military
Education Phase II.
LCDR Richardson reported in July 2000 as the Director of Transportation in the Logistics
Readiness Center for the Commander U.S. Atlantic Fleet. She established fleet transportation
policy and coordinated transportation during emergent operations and contingencies. She
improved quality of life for personnel stationed in Keflavik, Iceland and Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba by increasing available seats, decreasing fares, modifying departure times and adding
hot meals to the channel flights. She worked closely with OPNAV and the Fleet Comptroller to
improve AMC and Fleet contingency deployment billing processes by implementing systemic
processes to improve billing efficiency, saving countless dollars and manhours.
CDR Richardson reported in September 2003 as a Joint Mobility Operations Officer in U. S.
Transportation Command. She engaged in the planning, validating and coordination of air and
surface transportation for operations globally. She volunteered for a 6-month deployment to
CENTCOM Deployment Distribution and Operations Center as the Air Requirements Chief where she
coordinated air transportation within Central Command. She was assigned as the Branch Chief
of Global Requirements and finished up her tour as Deputy Global Division Director. She managed
to also complete the Advanced Management Program.
CDR Richardson's military awards include a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service
Commendation Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, the Global War
on Terrorism Medals-both Support and Expeditionary, and various campaign and unit awards. She
recently passed her exam and is designated a Certified Professional Logistician.
