ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Five civilians retired during the installation retirement ceremony at the Ball Conference Center May 31.
APG's senior leader and commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell, hosted the event and said he was pleased to recognize the great work done by the retirees, whose service totaled more than 171 years.
"Each of you have made a great impact on the Army and our great nation," Ferrell said. "I hope that when you look back on your careers you are filled with pride for all the accomplishments you have achieved."
The retirees were Robert B. Harting Jr. of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, and CECOM's Kim C. Guyer, Stephen G. Dunn Sr., Deborah L. Barrows, and John P. Bellantoni.
Robert B. Harting Jr.
Harting was awarded the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service, certificate of appreciation and certificate of retirement, signed by the Director of Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center Jill H. Smith. Harting will officially retire June 16 with more than 40 years of civilian service.
Harting began his career with four years of service in the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. Since then he has held numerous mechanic and equipment specialist positions for the U.S. Army. In 2008 he transferred from Fort Belvoir, Va., to Aberdeen Proving Ground as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Act.
Harting's noteworthy accomplishments include assisting in 1982 with the airplane recovery efforts after Air Florida's Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. In 1991, he repaired equipment to support Soldiers deployed in Operation Desert Storm. In 2001, he volunteered to participate in Operation Noble Eagle, where he assisted in 9/11 recovery efforts.
Harting maintained and repaired generators and light towers for all of the access gates on Fort Belvoir until commercial power could be supplied to permanent equipment. In 2004, he conducted a power assessment for Army units stationed in Germany; and in 2011, he conducted the testing, evaluation, and deployment of 150 kilowatts of hybrid solar power systems to support operations in Afghanistan.
In recent years, he was requested by name to support multiple power and energy research and development experiments. Harting culminates his career as an equipment specialist general with RDECOM.
Harting's retirement plans include moving closer to Family and starting an auto shop business with his son-in-law.
"I will miss the Army Family," Harting said.
Kim C. Guyer
Guyer was awarded the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service and certificates of appreciation and retirement, signed by APG's senior leader and commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell. Her husband, Gary Guyer, received the DA certificate of appreciation.
She officially retired June 2 with more than 37 years of dedicated government service with the Department of Defense.
Guyer began her federal career in the fall of 1973 in her hometown at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania, working in contracting and rapidly advancing during her first 14 years of service. Because of her contracting experience, Guyer was accepted into the U.S. Navy Contract Specialist Career Intern Program at what then was the Naval Supply Center, Mechanicsburg, Pa., completing the 24-month program in only 18 months.
Upon graduating from the program, she accepted a contracting position with the Navy at China Lake, Calif. A few years later, Guyer returned to employment with the U.S. Army at Carlisle Barracks and the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., where she pursued her interest in law, working in the Judge Advocate's Office.
She continued her federal service as a paralegal, where she worked for the Defense Logistics Agency at New Cumberland, Pa., and for the U.S. Army Environmental Command at APG. This career path lasted more than 13 years, until AEC became a part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.
Guyer took this opportunity to remain at APG and returned to the contacting career field in 2008, where she worked for the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Army Contacting Command, and finally with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. She was a contracting officer at ACC prior to taking her final position as a procurement analyst in the CECOM Legal Office.
Guyer's noteworthy accomplishments include mediating numerous Equal Employment Opportunity cases as a paralegal with DLA. She successfully represented the government at more than 100 unemployment hearings, saving the government hundreds of thousands of dollars.
From 2000-2001, Guyer completed a year-long Executive Leadership Program through the Leadership Development Academy of the Graduate School, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Guyer held warrants as a contracting officer for both the Navy and the Army.
Her retirement plans include volunteering at a local food bank and traveling throughout the Southwest.
Stephen J. Dunn Sr.
Dunn was awarded the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service, certificates of appreciation and retirement, signed by APG senior leader and commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell. His wife Kathryn M. Dunn received the DA certificate of appreciation.
Dunn officially retired June 2, with 32 years of civilian service.
Dunn began his government career at the Philadelphia Naval shipyard Nov. 19, 1979. Over the next 15 years, he worked at the shipyard in positions including welder, inside machinist and machinist work leader. In 1990, he became a machinist foreman. Throughout his time at the shipyard, he participated in sea trials on many ships and carriers after their overhaul was complete.
In 1995, he transferred to Fort Monmouth, N.J. and began working for the Directorate of Information Management. In February 2009 he accepted a promotion as an information technology specialist, working for the Software Engineering Center Command and Control Solutions Directorate.
Dunn relocated to APG due to the closure of Fort Monmouth. He culminates his career as an information technology specialist for the SEC, Command and Control Solutions Directorate, CECOM.
Dunn's retirement plans include building his Family a house in Bedford, Va.
John P. Bellantoni
Bellantoni was awarded the certificate of appreciation and certificate of retirement, signed by APG senior leader and commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell.
Bellantoni officially retired June 3 with 33 years of civilian service.
He began his civil service career with a position in the Communications-Electronics Command Procurement and Production Directorate, Avionics and Navigational Aids Division. He traveled regularly for the Army to include to Panama and many stateside production and testing areas.
He spent a total of 17 years in the aviation arena, and regularly supported other branches of service.
Bellantoni served in the Army as a reserve logistician for nearly two decades, supporting infantry, signal security, signal construction, and field hospital units. He culminates his career as logistics management specialist with the Communications-Electronics Command.
His retirement plans include relocating his residence to Lancaster County, Pa., and spending more time with his father.
Deborah Barrows
Barrows was awarded the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service, certificate of appreciation and certificate of retirement, signed by APG's senior leader and commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Maj. Gen. Robert Ferrell.
Her husband, Mark Barrows received the DA certificate of retirement.
Barrows officially retired June 2 with 29 years of government service.
Barrows began her career working for the Federal Bureau of Investigations Headquarters in Washington D.C., as a data transcriber. Later she relocated to Panama where she worked in the Plans Division, Army J2 Military Intelligence, as a secretary and administrative assistant.
She continued her federal career with the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. as an intelligence technician. She again relocated to Hawaii where she worked at the Tripler Army Medical Center. Her next career choice relocated her to Fort Monmouth, N.J., where she worked for the Communications-Electronics Command. This job took her to places such as California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and APG. She culminates her career as a business development specialist.
During her retirement she plans to finish her master's degree in English as a Second Language.
She plans to teach ESL after graduating.
"I am sad to leave my coworkers but excited about what the future will hold," Barrows said.
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