The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the October 2025 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Commander Bryan Wellbrock. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is privileged to interview Lieutenant Commander Bryan Wellbrock at the USS New Jersey Reunion in 2024.

It began with a number—87. Drawn during the Vietnam War draft lottery, that number changed the course of a young college student’s life. Watching the capsules roll on television, Lieutenant Commander Wellbrock realized his future was calling. The next day, he and a few friends walked into a courthouse filled with recruiters. He chose the Navy. That decision launched a career marked by devotion, growth, and a deep commitment to service.

After a brief delay to finish his semester, Wellbrock boarded a plane in New Orleans bound for Great Lakes, Illinois, where he would experience boot camp in the dead of winter. The cold was brutal, the head shaving abrupt, and the vaccinations swift. But beneath the unknown and unexpected was a true transformation. “Boot camp’s primary goal is to destroy what you were and build you into something better,” he recalled. “You learn how to become part of something bigger than yourself.”

 Following boot camp, Wellbrock attended Communications Yeoman School, a short-lived program designed to meet the Navy’s urgent need for radiomen. He was trained in teletype operations and message handling, skills that would become the foundation of his career. His first assignment was at Ellyson Field in Pensacola, Florida—a helicopter training base. After two years there, he received orders to the USS Intrepid (CVS-11), stationed in Rhode Island.

 Life aboard the Intrepid was challenging. The ship was older, habitability was unique, and his sleeping rack was directly beneath the number three arresting wire—where aircraft aimed to land. “Every morning, paint flakes would fall on my bed from the ceiling,” he said. Despite the hardships, Wellbrock served with dedication, but the experience left him questioning a long-term Navy career.

 Fortunately, a wise and supportive chief at Quonset Point encouraged him to consider the broader opportunities the Navy offered. That conversation—and a new assignment—would change everything.

Wellbrock’s next assignment was the USS William H. Standley (DLG-32), a guided missile frigate that was practically brand new. “It was like night and day,” he said. “We had air conditioning, heat, good food—and everything worked.” Though the ship was top-heavy and prone to rolling in rough seas, the experience was another exciting chapter that would build institutional knowledge, the kind of training only the United States Navy can provide. The smaller crew fostered tight bonds, and the leadership was exceptional. “It changed my whole outlook on the Navy.”

Upon completion of sea duty on the USS William H. Standley, he became an instructor for Naval Communications in Key West. Wellbrock trained the first two female sailors in communications at the station. “They turned out to be two of the best workers I ever taught,” he said. “It set the tone for me for the rest of my career. It’s not about who you are—it’s about what you want to do and how you do it.”

He then attended Satellite Communications School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and was assigned to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he helped implement the base’s first satellite communications system. The impact was immediate—improved command and control, enhanced security, and a morale boost for sailors who could now call their detailers directly.

Commissioned as a Limited Duty Officer in 1980, Wellbrock was assigned to the USS Saratoga as Assistant Communications Officer. Just days before deployment, tragedy struck: Commander Jack Shaw, the ship’s renowned communications officer, was killed in an accident. Wellbrock, still new to his commission, was asked to step into the role.

“It was one of the scariest times of my life,” he said. “I thought, this is a career killer for sure.” But with the support of a strong team and a master chief, he led with humility and trust. During his time aboard the Saratoga, the ship became the first carrier to undergo the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). Wellbrock and his team helped write the book for carrier modernization.

After a successful tour in Corpus Christi, Wellbrock fulfilled a lifelong dream: serving aboard the USS New Jersey. As Communications Officer, he oversaw both radio and signal divisions, bringing his deep expertise in satellite communications to a crew still adapting to the technology. The New Jersey was more than a ship—it was a community. “It was probably the tightest group of professionals I’ve ever worked with,” he said.

Wellbrock became a geographic ambassador aboard the New Jersey, giving countless tours to visitors and dignitaries. But one of the most unique contributions came when he co-founded the Navy’s first organized clown troupe. Trained by a professional clown and led by a Catholic chaplain, the group performed skits and visited hospitals and orphanages across the Westpac region.

One moment stood out: a visit to a hospital where a terminally ill child smiled during a blessing and drifted peacefully back to sleep. “It wasn’t what we signed up for,” Wellbrock said, “but it changed us.” The troupe became a symbol of hope and healing, featured on the cover of Navy Times, and remembered not just for entertainment—but for compassion. Years later, he compiled the photos and memories into a book, a proud reminder of the impact kindness can have in the far corners of the globe and how a group of Sailors and Officers from the United States Navy brought compassion to those in need.

Following his time aboard the New Jersey, Wellbrock was assigned to NAVCAMS Eastpac in Honolulu, where he led a massive communications department overseeing operations across the Pacific. Later, during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he was selected to help launch and operate the command center, coordinating global communications during critical military and humanitarian missions—including the Bangladesh tsunami and Mount Pinatubo eruption.

His final assignment took him to Millington, Tennessee, where he oversaw the modernization and relocation of Navy communications schools nationwide. “I spent six days a week in the air for a year and a half,” he recalled, flying coast to coast to ensure the successful transition of training programs that would shape future generations of Navy communicators.

After 28 years of service, Wellbrock made the decision to retire. With one daughter still at home and his wife in a fulfilling job, he chose family over further advancement. “I could have gone 30,” he said, “but it was time to think more about them than about me.”

Reflecting on his career, he said, “I always seemed to be in the wrong spot at the right time. But somehow, with the talent, experience, and people around me, we always made it happen. No man stands alone in this kind of work.”

We honor Lieutenant Commander Wellbrock not only for his service—but for his humanity. His legacy is one of leadership, innovation, and heart.

The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Commander Bryan Wellbrock featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service