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Navy Commander Cameron Weaver, who grew up in Maricopa, has decided to stop moving every few years.
Weaver was honored June 12 at a formal retirement ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
His father, Myron “Ben” Weaver, attended the ceremony that brought to a close his son’s 22-year career in the Navy.
“It was very impressive,” he said. “He said that this (retirement) is for Mary Beth, it’s not for me. When you’re in the Navy you move every two years or so. Mary Beth had to do everything because Cameron was usually at sea when they had to move.”
Mary Beth is Weaver’s wife, the former Mary Beth Petrey of Taft. She is a 1981 Taft High graduate. He graduated from Maricopa High a year earlier.
The couple met while they were students at Taft College where they earned Associate of Arts degrees before transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Both earned bachelor’s degrees.
Cameron got his in mechanical engineering in 1986, and when he found oil field engineering jobs scarce he followed dad’s footsteps and joined the Navy.
The couple has decided to stay in Maine where Mary Beth is a substitute teacher and Cameron plans to enjoy retired life, but may look for civilian work.
“I’m taking the summer off to get reacquainted with the family,” he said Friday after they returned from a vacation in Florida.
“My retirement officially kicks in on 1 September,” he said, “so when I get that first retirement check I may decide I need to find a job.”
He said he could probably work as a civilian employee at the Naval Shipyard, “but that wouldn’t be my first choice.”
Weaver spent most of his Navy career in the submarine division.
After earning an engineering degree from Cal Poly, he was unable to find a job in the oil industry, so he enlisted in the Navy, following his dad, who served in the Navy during World War II.
His first commission after completing nuclear propulsion officer training in 1988 was aboard the USS Tunny where he served as the main propulsion assistant and sonar officer in the Western Pacific.
Weaver’s assignments took him all over the country to places like New London, CT, Pearl Harbor HI, San Diego, Cambridge, MA, Port Hueneme, CA, and finally to Portsmouth where he has been since January of 2007.
Navy Commander Cameron Weaver, who grew up in Maricopa, has decided to stop moving every few years.
Weaver was honored June 12 at a formal retirement ceremony at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
His father, Myron “Ben” Weaver, attended the ceremony that brought to a close his son’s 22-year career in the Navy.
“It was very impressive,” he said. “He said that this (retirement) is for Mary Beth, it’s not for me. When you’re in the Navy you move every two years or so. Mary Beth had to do everything because Cameron was usually at sea when they had to move.”
Mary Beth is Weaver’s wife, the former Mary Beth Petrey of Taft. She is a 1981 Taft High graduate. He graduated from Maricopa High a year earlier.
The couple met while they were students at Taft College where they earned Associate of Arts degrees before transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Both earned bachelor’s degrees.
Cameron got his in mechanical engineering in 1986, and when he found oil field engineering jobs scarce he followed dad’s footsteps and joined the Navy.
The couple has decided to stay in Maine where Mary Beth is a substitute teacher and Cameron plans to enjoy retired life, but may look for civilian work.
“I’m taking the summer off to get reacquainted with the family,” he said Friday after they returned from a vacation in Florida.
“My retirement officially kicks in on 1 September,” he said, “so when I get that first retirement check I may decide I need to find a job.”
He said he could probably work as a civilian employee at the Naval Shipyard, “but that wouldn’t be my first choice.”
Weaver spent most of his Navy career in the submarine division.
After earning an engineering degree from Cal Poly, he was unable to find a job in the oil industry, so he enlisted in the Navy, following his dad, who served in the Navy during World War II.
His first commission after completing nuclear propulsion officer training in 1988 was aboard the USS Tunny where he served as the main propulsion assistant and sonar officer in the Western Pacific.
Weaver’s assignments took him all over the country to places like New London, CT, Pearl Harbor HI, San Diego, Cambridge, MA, Port Hueneme, CA, and finally to Portsmouth where he has been since January of 2007.
In 1999 when the Navy decided to reduce its submarine fleet, Weaver was granted a lateral transfer to engineering duty officer.
With his new status, the Navy gave him the opportunity to take advanced university courses in engineering, so he attended the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he earned not one but two Master of Science degrees – one in naval architecture and marine engineering and one in mechanical engineering.
During his service career, Weaver was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (five awards) and the Navy Achievement Medal (two awards).
He and Mary Beth have three children – Natalie, 18, who just completed her freshman year at Fresno State University, Benjamin, 17, and Emily, 12.
The family lives in South Berwick, a small town that is a stone’s throw from the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport.
Weaver’s sisters are Libby Brazeel of Taft and Laurie Cagle of Bakersfield.
