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ELLSWORTH — Richard G. Rhinehart, 53, has enjoyed a 28-year stretch in the U.S. Navy, retiring in January of 2022.

He served on four different submarines, the last of which he was commander.

Rhinehart is a Western Reserve High School Class of 1988 graduate. The son of Richard and Audrey Rhinehart, he grew up in Ellsworth and went on to further his education at Miami of Ohio where he studied math. He continued his education at the University of Michigan where he earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering.

In 1994, Rhinehart made the decision to join the Navy and headed off to Pensacola, Fla., for officer candidate school.

“At that point, I knew I wanted to serve on a submarine,” Rhinehart said.

He had to continue his Navy training for the next year-and-a-half by attending a series of schools at various locations. Those classes involved nuclear power training.

“One thing you have to do on a submarine is to be well trained on the operations of a nuclear reactor,” Rhinehart said. “Part of that training was also in the basics of submarine warfare.”

At the end of his training in 1996, Rhinehart was assigned to the USS Parche, which was a Sturgeon Class sub that was modified.

“It was cut forward of the sail (the sub’s tower) and a 100-foot section was added,” he said.

While serving on the Parche, he saw three different deployments. One deployment earned the sub a Presidential Unit Citation, which Rhinehart said is for exceptional performance in the conduct of operations. “It is was a big honor for the crew; it’s not awarded often,” he said.

From the Parche, which served in the Pacific, Rhinehart was assigned to the USS West Virginia’s Gold Crew. He said the sub had two crews that would alternate and it operated in the Atlantic.

“We conducted strategic deterrent patrols,” Rhinehart said. “The West Virginia was a missile boat with sea launch ballistic missiles on board.”

The West Virginia was an Ohio Class sub.

After the West Virginia, Rhinehart was assigned as an executive officer on the USS. Norfolk, a Los Angeles Class sub that also operated in the Atlantic.

His experiences on the three subs helped prepare Rhinehart for his last assignment at sea that saw him reach his ultimate dream job. He was assigned as captain of the USS North Carolina, a Virginia Class sub assigned to the Pacific. At the time it was the newest and most advanced submarine around.

“I enjoyed the Pacific the most,” Rhinehart said. “Nothing beats operating out of Hawaii.”

In between the time on the subs, Rhinehart served ashore in different positions. He served as fleet exercise planner at Naval Forces Europe in London, England. He served as squadron engineer in Kings Bay, Ga. He was an executive assistant to the Submarine Force Commander in Norfolk, Va. He was a deputy for operations for the European Subs Ops in Naples, Italy. He served as a Submarine Command Course Instructor who taught future sub captains at Grotton, Conn. He served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Partnership on the NATO Maritime Staff in London, England. His final on-land assignment prior to retiring from the Navy was commanding officer at Naval Base KITSAP in Bremerton, Wash.

As he looked back at his years of service, he said submarines are very different from ships and take some adjustments.

“A sub is a cylinder,” he said. “So you roll a lot on the surface. Sea-sickness is always a big concern. After 28 years going to sea, I can still get sea sick.”

He said under the surface, the waters become more tolerable, but there are the storms.

“If there is a pretty bad storm at the surface, you can still feel it 400 feet down,” he said.

Rhinehart retired from the Navy in 2022 after 28 years. He took some time off to explore career options. He already had a great set of qualifications that came from his Navy service.

“In a sub, you very much adapt to the environment,” he said. “What I liked was the sense of team work, community, and the professional challenges.”

Back in civilian life, he briefly worked for Amazon Web Services and is now serving as Chief Operations Officer for the City of Roswell, Ga.

He recently made the trip back to Western Reserve High School where he served as commencement speaker for the Class of 2023.

“It was an incredible honor to be asked to speak,” he said.

His talk was on “What I wish I had known when I graduated high school.”

He also got to attend the senior breakfast, where he learned of the diverse opportunities available to today’s students.

“It was way more than were available when I graduated,” he said.

It was also a treat to visit with his parents, who live in Canfield.

Capt. Richard G. Rhinehart

AGE: 53

HOMETOWN: Roswell, Ga. (Ellsworth native)

SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Navy

MILITARY HONORS: Presidential Unit Citation

OCCUPATION: Chief Operations Officer for the City of Roswell, Ga.

FAMILY: wife, Chloe Rhinehart; and daughters, Alyssa, Sarah, Emma and Sammi