While growing up in many places, his formative years were spent residing in Jacksonville while his father was stationed in Mayport. Hall subsequently spent some of his department head years in Mayport serving as the Chief Engineer on USS Doyle (FFG-39). This command is Hall's second, having previously led the USS Kingfischer (MHC-56), homeported in Ingleside, Texas. Upon completion of his first command tour, he was selected for a Federal Executive Fellowship to the Hoover Institute on War, Peace and Revolution at Stanford University. From there, he attended Prospective Commanding Officer School in Newport, R.I., followed by a temporary assignment to Central Command in Qatar as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hall is receiving a ship with a long and proud history. The third ship to be named in honor of Samuel Booker Roberts, a WWII Coxswain who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross at the battle of Guadalcanal. USS Samuel B. Roberts was commissioned in 1986 and Cmdr. Hall is her 10th commanding officer. |