About Us

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Ty and Suzanne are both licensed USCG Captains who have more than sixty-five years of combined sailing experience between them.

Ty Giesemann

Suzanne Giesemann

With 26 years as a Navy ship driver, Ty is more at home at sea than on land.  A retired Captain and Destroyerman, Ty commanded the destroyer USS JOHN RODGERS (DD 983) as well as the U.S. base in Sasebo, Japan. His early sea duty assignments include Navigator/Operations officer on the destroyer USS ARNOLD J ISBELL (DD 869), Operations Officer aboard the frigate USS KOELSCH (FF 1049), and Chief Engineer aboard the amphibious landing ship USS PEORIA (LST 1183). He taught Seamanship and Navigation at the US Naval Academy, where he also served as Executive Assistant to the Director of Professional Development. Following a year as a student at the Naval War College, Ty reported to the frigate USS WHIPPLE (FF 1062) as Executive Officer.  He spent a memorable two years in Portsmouth, England on exchange with the Royal Navy, where he worked on the Seawolf missile program. Upon his return, and prior to reporting to the Navy Staff at the Pentagon, he had the honor of serving aboard the battleship USS IOWA (BB 61) as Operations Officer.  After his retirement from the Navy he worked as a Defense Analyst, specializing in missile defense.

Suzanne retired from the Navy as a Commander after completing 20 years as a Fleet Support Officer. Her assignments included Command Center Division Officer at the Atlantic Fleet Headquarters and Leadership & Management Instructor in Norfolk, Virginia.  She was a Politico-Military Affairs specialist at the US Southern Command Headquarters in Panama where she took part in Operation Just Cause.  She served as an Intelligence Analyst at the Navy’s Maritime Intelligence Center and as an Administrative Department Head in Sasebo Japan. She served as Protocol Officer for the Chief of Naval Operations, then transferred to the U.S. Naval Academy, where she taught Political Science and was Deputy Director of Humanities.  She served as Commanding Officer of Transient Personnel Unit Puget Sound where she and Ty enjoyed sailing the pristine waters of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her final assignment was at the Pentagon where she served as Aide to the nation’s top military officer, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This exciting assignment included the career highlight of flying on Air Force One with President George W. Bush. Suzanne is the author of 12 books and numerous magazine articles.  To find out about Suzanne’s other calling, visit www.TheAwakenedWay.org.