MMNC(SS) RET James Kruzan

James was born in Seoul, Korea, and moved to Augusta, Georgia, at a very young age. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, who served four tours in Vietnam. After attending college for one year without much success, James and his cousin walked into a Navy recruiter’s office, where he learned about the Navy and its Nuclear Power Program. He decided to pursue that opportunity.

James found that the structure the military provided, along with the camaraderie, was exactly what he was looking for. While serving, he developed a passion for teaching and training other sailors. He went on to serve for 21 years, completing assignments on five different submarines, spending a combined total of two years underwater, and training well over 5,000 sailors during his tenure in the Naval Nuclear Training Program.

After retiring from the Navy, James chose to remain in the nuclear field and continue his work in training and instruction. He is currently the Technical Training Supervisor at Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Station in Newport, Michigan.

During his service, James also developed a strong commitment to community service, which he continues today through involvement with several veteran service organizations. He currently serves as Quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1138 in Monroe, Michigan, and is also a board member of the DTE VETS Energy Resource Group.