Although he already has spent more than three decades at sea aboard various military vessels, Master Chief Petty Officer John Joseph Regina’s appetite for the sea—and his genuine love for sailing—remains leagues away from being satisfied.
And so when he retires from the U.S. Navy later this year following more than 31 years of service, Regina plans to “become a merchant marine…join the SIU and continue sailing until I get too old to do it.” Apparently the Jacksonville, Fla. resident is very serious about his aspiration. In the last month, he has taken steps to not only bolster its fruition, but also to make the transition into it easy.
From May 26 to July 27, the father of three sons (26-year-old Christopher, 17-year-old Guy, and 11-year-old Eric) was taking upgrading classes at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. A radar man by specialty, Regina was enrolled in the school’s veterans’ program. It allows separating and retired military members in possession of U.S. Coast Guard-recognized deck or engine ratings to sit for the able-bodied seaman or fireman/oiler endorsements. Once qualified individuals successfully complete course requirements at the school and pass a Coast Guard exam, they are guaranteed a first job aboard one of the SIU’s contracted vessels.
Regina was thoroughly impressed, not only with the quality of the training he received at Piney Point, but also by the state-of-the art facilities in which that instruction was given.
“The AB class was great,” he said. “I had a wonderful time and learned a great deal. The materials presented were interesting as well as informative and the quality of the instructors was excellent. I was very impressed.”
“The quality of the training I received at the Paul Hall Center was as good—if not better in some cases—as that which I was exposed to during my Navy career,” Regina said. “And I can’t begin to tell you about the facilities here; they are remarkable. The school has everything a student needs in order to be successful and the entire staff is very dedicated to their mission of teaching mariners what they need to know.”
The Brooklyn native should be a good judge of quality instruction as well as facilities because he has been enhancing his intellect at well-regarded institutions most of his adult life. After earning his high school diploma from Florida Junior College in Pensacola, Fla., he netted a bachelor’s degree in government and British history from the University of Maryland in College Park.
Regina enlisted in the Navy in 1972 and completed numerous training regiments as he progressed through the enlisted ranks. He was selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Senior Enlisted Academy at Maxwell AFB, Ala. when he became a senior chief petty officer.
Regina, who currently is assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy, will remain on active duty with the Navy until September. At that point, the Vietnam-era sailor—who was involved in the evacuation of Saigon and has since had tours of duty in Greece, England and Cuba—will take his oath of allegiance to the merchant marine. Thereafter he’ll still be sailing under the Stars and Stripes and most likely be performing many of the same duties as before. This time around however, he’ll be doing so in distinctly different attire and under a less-stringent set of rules.
“It will be a different experience to go to sea without all the military protocol involved,” said Regina who has completed CONUS assignments in Pensacola, Jacksonville and Norfolk, Va. “In a lot of ways it probably will be more enjoyable.
“As far as making the transition from the Navy to the merchant marine is concerned, I don’t think it will be difficult for me at all,” Regina offered. “The two professions really are not that much different—members of both go to sea and that’s really what I enjoy doing anyway.”
Although he does not yet have any merchant mariner sea time to his credit, he says he’d have no problem promoting the profession or encouraging people to pursue it as a career. “Right now, I’m recruiting my 17-year-old son,” he concluded.
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