A retirement ceremony in honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Bill J. Hembree was held on March 23 at the American Legion in Del City, Okla.
Senior Chief Hembree was born in Ransom and grew up in Great Bend where he graduated from Great Bend High School in 1990. He joined the Marine Corps on Aug. 26, 1990, in Great Bend. After completion of Basic training, he attended School of Infantry in Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Security Forces Close Quarters Course in Vallejo, Calif.
His first tour of duty was with Marine Corps Security Force Regiment, at NAS Alameda, Calif., from May 1991 to October 1992. His next tour was with 1st Marine Division 3rd Battalion LARin 29 Palms, Calif., from November 1992 to August 1994. While there he was deployed to “Operation Restore Hope” in Somalia Africa where he spent six months.
Corporal Hembree was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1994 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in May of 2000. His first tour with the Navy was with VA W 116 at Point Mugu, Calif., from September 2000 to December 2004. While there he worked in the AME shop and QA working on the E2-C Hawkeye. While attached to the mighty Sunkings he completed two deployments on the U.S.S Constellation and U.S.S Abraham Lincoln. His next tour was with VQ-4, The Shadows, at Tinker AFB, Okla., from January 2005 to December 2009. While there he worked in the AME shop,
Quality Assurance, Phase and earned his Safe for Flight qualification. He then Transferred to VQ-3 Det Travis from January 2010 to June 2012. While attached to the Ironman Det, he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 2010. In June 2012 he checked in to VQ-3, The Ironmen, at Tinker AFB, Okla. He was there until April of 2015 where he served as Maintenance Control Leading Chief Petty Officer and Quality Assurance Supervisor. In April 2015 he returned to The Shadows of VQ-4 serving as an AME Branch Chief, and Maintenance Control LCPO. He was promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer in July 2015.
Senior Chief Hembree graduated the United States Senior Enlisted Academy, Newport, RI, Class 209 in 2018.
AMCS (AW) Hembree’s personal awards include Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards), Good Conduct Medal (seven awards), and various other service and unit awards.