POLARIS POINT, Guam – Like many young people who join the military, Master Chief Hull Maintenance Technician Mark Snortland, assigned to the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), didn’t intend on making the Navy a career. Now, after almost 30 years of honorable service, he is fast approaching his retirement this summer.
Master Chief Snortland grew up in the small town of Roundup, Mont., with his parents Irene and Gary and 11 brothers and sisters. He decided to join the Navy after receiving an unexpected phone call from a family member who happened to be a recruiter.
“Back in the summer of ’87, I got a phone call from my cousin’s brother-in-law who was a chief,” said Snortland. “He asked me what I was going to do after high school, and when I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Why don’t you join the Navy and do something adventurous?’ So I did, and the rest is history.”
Snortland enlisted in the Navy in August of that year, and was off to basic training at Recruit Training Command (RTC) San Diego the following July. He went on to graduate from Apprenticeship Training at RTC San Diego before reporting to his first duty station on the submarine tender USS Proteus (AS 19), on the island of Guam.
Master Chief Snortland has achieved many great accomplishments and successes throughout his career. He climbed up the ranks from fireman recruit to master chief, earning various awards and accolades along the way, and credits much of his success to having great mentors.
“You have to have good mentors,” said Snortland. “You have to have people that believe in you, push you and make you better. I got pushed by mentors and people that are still part of my life. They made me better by training me, teaching me and showing me things that I could do to be a better leader.”
Snortland also says that having a strong support system at home is a key element in being successful in the Navy.
“I married my wife back in ’94, and I have to tell you, she’s the one that pushed me for every rank I made,” said Snortland. “She would iron my uniforms to make me look good for inspections. She was always very in tune with what I was doing and what my career consisted of. She’s just as much of a master chief as I am.”
Master Chief Snortland added that having this family support is an important aspect in being able to get through the more difficult times in the Navy.
“The biggest challenge has been balancing family with deployments and the Navy’s needs,” said Snortland. “I get through it with the support of my family. They tell me they’re ok with me leaving. They say ‘don’t worry about us, we’ll take care of ourselves.’”
With his retirement date set for June 1, 2018, Master Chief Snortland will finally be able to shift his focus from the Navy to something different ... but not completely.
“I’m looking to take my experience I’ve gained in the Navy and work somewhere for the Navy,” said Snortland. “Either in the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center in San Diego or in some capacity … whether it be as a project support engineer, an integrated test engineer or even a ship superintendent.”
No matter which path he takes, Master Chief Snortland is eager to plant some roots and spend some much needed time with his family in San Diego.
“I’m looking forward to being home and not having to do overseas tours without the family,” said Snortland. “I’m looking forward to having a permanent, steady situation at home … being a good husband, and being there for my kids and my grandkids.”
Frank Cable, forward deployed to Guam, repairs, rearms and reprovisions deployed U.S. Naval Forces in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.