Tyrone Krause joins the Navy
Tyrone Krause was sworn into the Navy by his daughter, Laura, an ensign on board USS Ramage in Norfolk, Virginia, according to the Virginian-Pilot;
At 63, the heart surgeon from Skillman, N.J., joined the Navy after receiving a waiver that permitted him to enter the Reserves a year past the typical age limit because people with his skills are in demand.
“Sometimes I say to myself, ‘How did I get into this? Why don’t I just relax and sit in my backyard and drink some beer?’ But that’s not my style. I’ve always been on the move. And hopefully I’ll always be on the move,” Krause said.
“I feel, surgically, I’m in my prime. I could still operate very well, and if I can give back and help some of our young men and women in the military, that’s what I want to do.”
Krause was commissioned as a commander [pay grade O-5] Friday aboard the destroyer USS Ramage, where his 27-year-old daughter, Laura, is an ensign and performed the ceremony.
Thanks to Mick for the link.
Category: Navy
BZ!
Good for him and the Navy.
That’s just freakin cool!
Go Navy
my kind of guy, now can i get an apointment to see him?
Cool!
Will he collect a retirement from the Navy!
He came in as an O-5?
But, but…
Certain professionals can come in up to O-6 without congressional approval. You have your skills Yef…and they have theirs.
If the Navy recruited him out of medical school, what followed would be internship, years of residency and decades of practice to have the skills this doctor presently possesses. It’s a hell of a good investment for the Navy. He’ll be the ‘go to’ guy in whatever cardiac department in which he works. Damn find investment.
Tip of the hat to you, Doctor, and thank you in advance for your service.
Make that ‘fine’ not ‘find’. Can’t blame it on lack of coffee. It’s a senior moment, yeah, that’s it.
He also almost certainly got a signing bonus, probably in the realm of six figures. Still a great investment. In a few months the Navy can save huge $ by not sending patients out to the civilian community for care. I’d like to see more of this, providers coming into the military after retirement from the civilian sector. Takes great commitment to forego a life of leisure to come into the military at 63, 12 hour work days, on call a few times a week or so.
There is a sliding scale based upon age, or at least there used to be. Guess nobody thought it a good idea to ever have a 50 year old 1Lt.
In USAF, that entry rank thing applied to everyone but was rarely applied beyond docs and chaplains. I knew an engineer who was prior enlisted (E-7) in a totally unrelated field, got an engineering degree and was commissioned as a Captain, retired as a LtCol. Great career progression, but not many can manage it.
There are special exceptions for medical professionals…especially surgeons. This is not atypical at all for an already accomplished general, cardio-thoracic or orthopedic surgeon. Silly to expect to lure someone that has been through undergrad, medical school, residency, fellowship and practice for v number of years and make him an O-1.
Even a newly minted FP wouldn’t come in less than O-3 unless he was ignorant of the process.
Use to be a Medical Officer recruiter back in the day… brought in a Endodontist that has asthma (got a BUMED approved waiver).
Ever get a waiver for a retired enlisted guy that went on to be a physician and wanted to come back and was willing to serve active or reserve?
Nope…
I figured. Friend of mine is a retired 18D and now a general surgeon…he couldn’t a waiver from AMEDD either.
Not surprised that specialized docs would have their own set of rules. As it should be. Also figure that all the services have similar or the same rules about minimum rank based upon age, plus whatever else might apply in special circumstances.
He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon, Yef. More education and skills than you can dream of – therefor the commission to Commander, Medical Corps.
You’re just a floor buffer operator…
No doubt he is giving up a tremendous amount of money by going active duty. I know my heart surgeon was making at least 500k a year. That is real sacrifice. We are lucky that people like him are around.
“Just a floor buffer operator”.
HARSH!
He was first WOT commenter! He’s come a long way, baby!
Great story!
Looks damn good for a 63 year old…
I know 30 year olds that look older….
Cleanest jacket I have ever seen. Couldn’t they have given him something to pin on it? Poor guy looks like a waiter.
Like a pledge pin?
Zactly. A pledge pin would have been nice.
After he was sworn in, his family put his CDR shoulder boards on his uniform, and the Navy pinned an NDSM on him.
He gets the coveted NDSM?
Kind leaves ya choked up don’t it 2/17.
It do, Sparks. It do.
In before the first comments of “Boooooooot”
When does he become a SEAL?
At least the NDSM and GWOT.
Knew a TD1 (Tradevman, old rating now extinct) who sported a NDSM and a Good Cookie with three stars. Not much glory in fixing Flight Sims.
WOW and Back in the NYC 1950’S we used to say now that’s “Boss”
2/17 Air Cav: There are some nice pictures of him with his shoulder boards and NDSM within the article.
Good for him and his family, especially his daughter. At 63, he knows “It’s Not Just a Job…It’s An Adventure!
Salute, CDR Krause.
I really don’t care what he looks like. I was just having some fun. Waiter! This soup is cold.
I know you were just jesting, 2/17 Air Cav…😉
Thought about your NDSM’s story you shared the other day..😆 Not even Spelberg can get his hands on it…
I once opened a drawer in our office to look for something. Buried in the back were a dozen or more NDSMs in those little blue presentation boxes. We were literally giving them away. 🙂
I pinned on my NDSM & AFEM (Dom.Rep.64) on my new duped polyester/cotton whites. Pressing them is different than my old cotton whites which I should have saved along with my Blues, Reg & Gabardine with the zippers and Dragon Liberty cuffs plus my reg and non reg double rolled neckerchief.
Funnin’ on a Squid? That never happens here. Say it ain’t so, Cav!
Wow. In the article it saws he also has a LAW degree. Dude has done a lot in his 63 years. Well done SIR.
Huh, that’s more common than I would have expected. The OB/GYN that delivered our kids had started with a JD. I always meant to ask how old he was when he finally got done with all the schooling and specialization. Gotta be well into your 30’s.
My prostate doc, head of the Prostate Research Center at Walter Reed, was a JD also.
In his case it made sense: dealing with assholes in either line of work.
Being sworn in my your daughter?
I’da had trouble with the dust.
BZ for both of ’em.
He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with his oldest daughter? How can you have enough waking hours to do everything he has done?
Climbing Kili is overrated in the difficulty factor. Nice view, though
Congratulations to him and his family.
(Ex-PH2 ponders silently: They’re cutting Combat Camera as a specialty. Wonder if another geezer could get a waiver, too?)
Damn–this is Great!
I used to see “grey beard” senior general surgeons in high demand due to experience recruited in the late 80’s with entry 0-4 rank. Cardio thoracic is 2-3 yrs past the 5 yrs of general surgery training. No need for PFT as the hours, board exams are long and the stress is a lot. Left USN as a vascular surgeon in 1990 as CDR…after 11 yrs in private practice I got bored and returned VFR direct to active duty. By then I had made CAPT in USNR. 9/11 hit in 3 mos .Retired 14 yrs later. Senior surgeons are a great benefit to line leadership, patients and the experience we pass on to the younger Navy surgeons. We do well on the longest OIF/OEF deployments as no one misses us..hah! Best decision I ever made was to return to USN and serve. Got a USN LT (SWO) son now in med school. With a daughter as 0-1 I am sure this chest cutter feels same pride. CAPT “Bones” USN (ret)
Outstanding Doc, I bet you are proud and deservedly so.
This if friggin awesome. Now….who got bought the first salute?
From the article Jonn provided:
“Krause was commissioned as a commander Friday aboard the destroyer USS Ramage, where his 27-year-old daughter, Laura, is an ensign and performed the ceremony.
She was the first person he saluted.”
He got the waiver to get in and good for him. His specialty will be of great value to the Navy and they saved a lot of money by not having to train him.
Are the mandatory retirement age limits waived, too? As in, as long as he can practice he can stay in the reserves? Congrats, Doc.
Whats the age limit to join the Navy