The Krasnicans in 2024
Consider this our Christmas card
MW and I ran out of time to mail physical cards this year, so we have reactivated this Substack to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Here’s a quick update on our 2024:
We moved from Hawaii to Norfolk, VA.
We started new jobs (still in the Navy).
We traveled.
A little baby is joining us in January!
Keep reading for some photos and a little more detail.
The last time I updated this newsletter I had just returned from my first deployment on USS MISSOURI (SSN-780). After that I was on the “Mighty Mo” for another two years. I got my dolphins (submarine warfare qualification), completed another round of nuclear exams, trained for deployment, and deployed again.
Meanwhile MW was doing similar things aboard USS MISSISSIPPI (SSN-782). Specifically she helped bring her boat out of a long shipyard maintenance period and got the crew ready for their first deployment in over three years.
When we weren’t underway, MW and I really enjoyed our life in Hawaii going to beaches, cooking, running, and trying restaurants.
There’s a lot more to say about our junior officer tours on submarines but this isn’t the place. I found it very rewarding — mostly due to the incredible people I worked with and the missions we accomplished — and decided to sign a contract to stay in the Navy for another seven years. That means I’ll go back to a submarine at least once more; this time as a “department head” (mid-level officer).
In February we “detached” from our boats and moved to Norfolk, Virginia to start new “shore duty” jobs. I am now the executive assistant and flag aide to a one-star admiral. I travel with him, manage his calendar, and help him stay organized.
MW is now a “submarine watch officer” which is kind of like being an air traffic controller and dispatcher for submarines.
Moving to Norfolk was a big change for us but we are enjoying the proximity to MW’s family in North Carolina and reconnecting with old friends from USNA. We also got to have MW’s sister MB live with us for a few months while attending a Navy school in the area. We are very grateful for the community we have here.
Our travels were a big highlight for us this year. We traveled overseas together for the first time! MW met me on a work trip in Naples, Italy and then we took leave and went to Munich to see Taylor Swift. After that we spent about a week in Amsterdam.
We were also able to visit Alaska and go fishing with my parents! It was our first time in Alaska together since before we were married.
In other news, I have started taking my personal fitness more seriously in the past few years, especially 2024. My commanding officer on MISSOURI inspired this by rallying most of the crew to do a Spartan Race in 2022. [Before this I could barely run a mile without stopping.] I discovered that training for these events is a great hobby so in 2023 I did a couple of half-marathons and started lifting weights regularly during deployment. This year I trained for and completed a half-Ironman in North Carolina with our friends Ricardo and Delaney, and now I’m getting ready for a marathon next summer with our friend Jon.
MW has spent her newfound spare time reading, cooking, crocheting, and tending plants. She is also spending a lot of energy on making a new baby girl! The baby has a name already — Alice Taylor — and we can’t wait to meet her in about a month :)
Again, we hope you have an amazing holiday season, and thank you for reading our updates. If we haven’t caught up in a while, we would love to hear from you. You can reply directly to this email if you’d like.
Until next time,
The Krasnicans