VINCENT E. DANET
Born April 1962, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vincent Danet is the third of 6 children born to Francis & Ashby Danet. After graduating from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School in 1979, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy, March 1984 at the NROTC Unit Georgia Tech. Vince Danet completed flight training in Pensacola, FL and was designated as a Naval Flight Officer in November 1985.
Vince reported to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, CA in January 1986 and completed Fleet Replacement NFO training with the Shamrocks of Air Antisubmarine Squadron 41 in the Lockheed S-3A Viking aircraft in October 1986. He served with the VS-22 Checkmates at Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL from November 1986 to August 1989. His jobs included Public Affairs Officer, Facilities Manager, Avionics/Armaments Division Officer, Antisubmarine Warfare Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. During this tour, he completed two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea as part of Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard USS John F. Kennedy. Lieutenant Vince Danet also earned the designations Nuclear Weapons Courier, Carrier Antisubmarine Warfare Tactical Coordinator, and Mission Commander versed in Antisubmarine Warfare, Electronic Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare and Aerial-Mine Warfare.
Vince reported to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, DC where he served, from September 1989 to October 1990, as Minority Community Liaison Officer in the Navy Equal Opportunity Division. In this capacity, he was the Navy’s representative at minority conventions/conferences nationwide.
He applied for and was approved for transition from Naval Flight Officer to Naval Aviator. In November 1990, he reported to Primary Flight Training in Corpus Christi, TX. He then reported to Kingsville, TX for Intermediate Jet Training and initial carrier qualification, and on to Advanced Strike Training and carrier qualification. He earned his “Wings of Gold” as a Naval Aviator in October 1992.
Fleet Replacement Pilot training was done with the Sea Wolves of Sea Control Squadron 27 at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL. He then reported to the Diamondcutters of Sea Control Squadron 30 and served as part of Carrier Air Wing 17 aboard USS Saratoga, for her last cruise, from July 1993 to March 1994. He then served on the staff of Sea Control Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet from March to June 1994, then went to the Maulers of Sea Control Squadron 32 as Safety Officer, then Operations Officer from November 1994 to November 1996. During his tour with the World Famous Maulers as Operations Officer, he presided over a record-breaking flying year, a combat deployment and was designated Carrier Air Wing Strike Leader. As part of Carrier Air Wing One aboard USS America, for her last cruise, he deployed to the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf in support of Operations Deny Flight, Deliberate Force, Sharp Guard and Southern Watch off the coasts of the former Yugoslavia and Iraq.
Vince Danet became Operations Officer for the Navy’s Fleet Replacement Squadron, the Shamrocks of Sea Control Squadron 41. Overseeing the combat-ready training over 200 replacement aircrew in the Lockheed S-3 Viking tactical aircraft; with an annual flying budget of over $4.6 million.
While in San Diego, he was a Junior Achievement consultant at the Castle Park Middle School in Chula Vista, CA teaching Personal Economics.
Lieutenant Commander Danet has logged over 3,000 hours of tactical jet flight time and over 490 carrier landings. His personal awards include the Air Medal (Strike), Navy Commendation Medal, 3 Navy Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, the NATO Medal, and Expert Pistol Shot Medal. Other campaign awards include 2 Meritorious Unit Citations, 2 Battle “E” awards, and the Sea Service Ribbon for multiple overseas deployments. He has traveled extensively worldwide. Through a Special Compartmentalized Background Investigation, he earned a Top Secret Clearance. Honorably Discharged December 1998.
Vince Danet moved on to the private sector at Alaska Airlines as an airline pilot, then to American President Lines managing all aspects of the stevedore operations of container ships, operations center, and container yard at APL’s Terminal Island facility (Global Gateway South) in the port of Los Angeles & Long Beach, CA. He was recruited by Tropical Shipping to work as Terminal Manager for the company’s Crown Bay facility in St Thomas, VI.
Vince Danet now works for Crowley Caribbean Services as Operations Manager in St Thomas, VI.
Vince has a son, Ty.
