Leonard “Len” Santiago checked on board USS MIDWAY April 11, 2017 as the ship’s new Director of Engineering and Restoration, Chief Engineer (CHENG). A 23 year Navy veteran, Len graduated and was commissioned through the University of California, Berkeley NROTC program (the first one established by Admiral Chester Nimitz) in 1988 with a major in Biophysics. Qualifying as a Surface Warfare Officer early in his career, he has served as an engineer, operations and combat systems officer onboard USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG-57), USS RUSSELL (DDG-59) and USS PELELIU (LHA-5) with six deployments throughout the Western Pacific and the Middle East with various Navy and Marine Corps forces (Operation Southern Watch, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom). In 1991, one deployment included supporting USS MIDWAY and a fleet of ships during one of the largest evacuations of all American personnel from the Philippines due to a major volcano eruption (Operation Fiery Vigil). Ashore, Len was a master training specialist in the AEGIS combat systems and engineering plant teaching the officers and enlisted crews of commissioned and new construction AEGIS cruisers and destroyers entering the Pacific Fleet. In addition, he was a requirements program officer for Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in the area of subsurface, surface, strike and air to air ordnance procurements, providing 4 star admiral level recommendations for future multi-billion dollar acquisitions in type and quantity while supporting post 9-11 operations defending the western United States and Pacific bases. A 1997 graduate of Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey California with a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Len utilized this education with his experience to help in future ship designs of the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke destroyers in the area of underwater shock blast analysis. He later served as the senior engineer and material officer for Admirals of Carrier Strike Group 15 and 7 while embarked onboard the newly commissioned aircraft carrier USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76), ensuring the material readiness and combat support of all ships and aircraft assigned to the RONALD REAGAN Carrier Strike Group during the ship’s first deployments (Operation Enduring Freedom). Len completed his final active duty Navy tour as the Assistant Chief of Staff (N4) Material and Logistics directly supporting the 3 star Admiral of Commander Third Fleet here in San Diego. His primary duties involved ensuring engineering readiness, operational training, logistic support and deployment certifications of all west coast aircraft carriers, surface ships, carrier air wings and military sea lift command ships for deployment overseas, homeland defense, Defense Support For Civil Authorities (2007 California Wild Fires) and integrating multiple US forces and international ships and aircrafts during Pacific Rim (RIMPAC) large scale exercises in 2008 and 2010. Len retired in 2011 as a commander and started a new adventure as an Engineering Program Manager for American Systems establishing the first Engineering Readiness Assistance Team (ERAT) for Commander Naval Surfaces Forces Pacific through 2016, providing senior engineering shipboard training (to junior enlisted to Commanding Officers) on all US Navy steam, diesel and gas turbine surface ships in the areas of main propulsion, damage control, electrical systems, auxiliaries, preventative maintenance programs up to and including USS ZUMWALT(DDG-1000). Len now enjoys the unique privilege and honor of maintaining, modernizing and preserving the USS Midway Museum-60,000 tons of America's living symbol of FREEDOM!