Always Do the Right Thing: Dennis Connell Retires After 41 Years of Public Service

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Aug. 28, 2026) — Dennis Connell, a secretary with Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, retired from Civil Service after 41 years of combined military and federal civilian service, during a ceremony aboard Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Aug. 28, 2026. His decades of dedicated mentorship and administrative support reinforced Navy Medicine’s commitment to developing its workforce and maintaining a collaborative workplace.

"After serving 20 years in the Air Force, I dabbled in civilian work life and found it unappealing," said Connell. "I missed the camaraderie of the military lifestyle and so decided to give back more to my country. I chose government Civil Service and have never looked back."

A native of Rensselaer, New York, Connell learned the value of a strong work ethic at an early age. Working for the City of Rensselaer at age 16, he found that dedication, consistency, timeliness, and integrity were essential tools for public service. "I've used these tools for the last 56 years and they have never done me wrong," Connell explained.

Connell began his civilian government career at NMFL in 2005, when it was known as Navy Medicine East. During that time, Navy Medicine has grown into an enterprise. "When I first started at NMFL I supported 60 personnel," Connell said during his retirement address. "Now the command has almost doubled and has a full staff of Yeomen and Personnelmen who share in every aspect of the administration."

Connell said although he has worked with several administrative teams, his most recent team became more than colleagues--they became family. "I consider each of them like my own children," said Connell. "I’ve dished out praise when it was called for, and also let them know where they erred, in the hope they could learn from their mistakes and become better administrators,” he said.

His commitment to mentoring junior staff and encouraging continuous professional development exemplified the command's focus on developing personnel and maintaining administrative readiness. “

Someone once told me that the definition of integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. If I could leave one thing to this group of administrators it is this: 'Always do the right thing,” he advised.

During the ceremony, Connell was presented with the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, one of the highest Navy civilian honors which recognizes one’s contributions have provided significant value or benefit to the Navy and Marine Corps. For 21 years, Connell’s work supported the administrative readiness of NMFL commands across North America, Europe, and the Caribbean.

For more than two decades, Connell provided administrative oversight, technical guidance, and leadership to 21 commands worldwide. Each year he reviewed 47 command instructions and managed records and programs, as well as processed more than 600 awards, and 800 Enterprise Management Tasking System actions. His oversight ensured Sailors and civilians received timely recognition, and critical tasking was completed accurately and on schedule.

Connell’s attention to detail and commitment to quality resulted in awards being processed with 100% accuracy and tasking actions achieving a 99% on-time completion rate. He coordinated with high headquarters and regional commands to facilitate the timely completion of assigned actions.

Regional commands also sought Connell’s expertise to conduct annual reviews of their medical inspector general programs. His thorough assessments helped commands prepare for successful inspections by ensuring they had the necessary tools and guidance, strengthening institutional readiness.

Together, these efforts helped leaders maintain accountability, make informed decisions and keep commands focused on medical and operational readiness. "Everything I've done while in government service was to further the mission of my command, and to serve the American people," said Connell.

As he prepares for the next chapter of his life, Connell expressed deep gratitude to his wife, Denise, for her unwavering support, his children and grandchildren, and his sister for setting a strong example. Connell plans to volunteer for various organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Appalachian Trail Conservatory, and hopes to docent for local history museums. He also has plans to travel with his wife and enjoy his grandchildren.

Connell closed his remarks by reflecting on the nation’s resilience. "We are the United States of America and for the last 250 years we have weathered the ups and downs of our nation," Connell said. "We will weather the current and future storms that we find ourselves in, and we will be a better nation for it."

Naval Medical Forces Atlantic leads 21 subordinate commands in advancing Navy Medicine’s readiness mission—ensuring deployable medical capability and operational support to the Fleet and Marine Corps worldwide.

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