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thedrifter
11-27-07, 10:17 AM
The Florida Times-Union

November 27, 2007

He's retired, but Marine still takes care of his men

By CHARLIE PATTON
The Times-Union


If there's one lesson David Moorefield learned during his 22 years as a Marine, it's that a good officer always takes care of his men.

That's even when the officer is retired and embarking on his civilian career.

Moorefield is getting ready to launch DAK Resources, a Jacksonville-based firm that will have as one of its primary goals helping veterans recently out of the service find jobs.

"I made a promise to my Marines and sailors that I wouldn't forget them," said Moorefield, who retired last year. "The transition from the military to the private sector is rough."

Since leaving the service and moving back to Northeast Florida, where he grew up, the 46-year-old father of three has been doing two jobs. He's been an adjunct professor at the University of Phoenix and a business representative of Network Resources Inc., an information technology consulting firm, whose owner will be his partner in DAK Resources.

By launching DAK Resources, he's adding a third job.

Moorefield, who grew up at the Beaches and graduated from Fletcher High School in 1980, attended the University of North Florida until he "ran out of money," he said.

He then joined the Marines as an enlisted man but never stopped pursuing his education. He earned his bachelor's degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University in 1988 and a master's degree in business administration in 2002 from the University of Phoenix.

He is working toward a doctorate from the University of Phoenix while also teaching classes at its campuses in Jacksonville and Orange Park.

Not surprisingly for someone who loves to teach, Moorefield said his favorite assignment as a Marine was as a company executive officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, where new recruits from east of the Mississippi go for basic training.

"Your job is to motivate them to go through hell and back and survive," he said.

The other assignment he relished came in early 2005 after the Asian tsunami killed more than 225,000 people in 11 countries, and inundated coastal communities with waves up to 100 feet high. He was sent to Thailand, one of the countries hardest hit, where he worked to distribute supplies throughout the region.

Moorefield, who suffered a 60 percent hearing loss during his time as a Marine, said he decided to retire because he had "accomplished everything I hoped to accomplish" as a Marine. Summing up his career, he said, "I had an awesome time."

Now Moorefield is living in Fernandina Beach with his 10-year-old son Austin, who gets the benefit of Moorefield's Marine training each Thursday when they clean house.

Moorefield, who spent 14 of the last 22 years deployed overseas, said his idea of fun is "spending time with the family."

charlie.patton@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4413 Charlie PattonCharlie Patton is a columnist for The Times-Union. His One Of Us column usually appears on Tuesdays.Patton archive | E-mail Charlie Pattoncms_sidebox()

Ellie