Capt. David Garlinghouse has made Navy history by becoming the first Navy Reserve security limited duty officer (LDO) to achieve the rank of captain.
Vice Adm. Dixon Smith, commander, Navy Installations Command (NIC), presided over the promotion ceremony, held Aug. 2 at Washington Navy Yard.
"It's hard to even describe the feeling," said Garlinghouse. "When you join the Navy as a seaman recruit, you never really think you are going to make captain. So having the opportunity to go all the way to captain is just a fantastic feeling and I really appreciate the help of the people whose shoulders I stood on to get to this point."
Garlinghouse has been assigned to the NIC headquarters Reserve unit since December 2013 and has been on active duty at NIC since April 2016. He serves as the Reserve security community leader and mentors more than 150 Reserve security officers and 4,000 Reserve masters-at-arms enlisted personnel.
"It's always great to promote someone to any rank, but this one is a little bit different, a little bit unique," said Smith. "David is the senior law enforcement security LDO in the Navy and the first reserve security LDO captain. For those enlisted Sailors out there, David is a guy who took advantage of his opportunities."
Garlinghouse's Navy career began in 1975 when he enlisted in the Navy as a surface sonar technician. In 1979, he converted to the master-at-arms rating and immediately earned the rank of petty officer first class. He left the Navy in 1981 and subsequently earned his bachelor's degree.
After graduating from Loyola University Law School, he tried to go back in the Navy as part of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, but was informed that there were no open billets.
"The detailer said they have more than enough active-duty JAG officers coming off active duty and moving into the Reserves to fill the open slots," said Garlinghouse. "They said I can come back in as [a petty officer first class] and try to go LDO, and that is what I did."
Today, Garlinghouse wears the eagles rank insignia that were given to him by retired Capt. Tito Arandela, the Navy's first security captain. In his civilian life, Garlinghouse is a licensed attorney in California and works as a security specialist for the Navy in San Diego.
