Of Old Dominion's many alumni who currently serve in the armed forces, four have reached the upper echelons of rank in their military careers. They include one-star brigadier generals in the Army and Marine Corps, and a two-star rear admiral and three-star vice admiral in the Navy. They joined the service as young men, have seen the world and worked hard throughout their careers to be all they can be. From the battlefields of Vietnam, to the Persian Gulf to the Pentagon, each has served his country with pride and honor. They are, indeed, a few good men.

After 32 years of leadership, management, and combat experience in nearly every hot spot on the globe, Vice Adm. William J. Fallon says it's easier to list the places he hasn't been than to rattle off the myriad places where he has served and visited during his Navy career.

"I've been to just about every place in the world except Australia," he said. "I've been up to the Arctic, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East. "I had an opportunity to go to the Ukraine a couple of years ago and all through the Middle East, the South Pacific, South America around Cape Horn, near the Antarctic -- just about every place. "

Fallon returned to Norfolk last year to share the benefits of his experiences as Deputy and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Atlantic Command. He is one of the most senior officers in the military in one of the most sought-after positions. Formulated only four years ago, USACOM is a worldwide command that coordinates the efforts of all the armed forces of the U.S. military. Fallon is second-in-command of this monumental organization, which is headquartered at the Atlantic Fleet compound in Norfolk.

USACOM's area of responsibility covers most of the Atlantic Ocean, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The command oversees the joint training and integration of 1.2 million enlisted men and officers from the four branches of the military. Fallon said better communication among the four branches was the reason behind the creation of USACOM. He cited the U.S. military involvement in Grenada as an example of where better preparation and communication would have helped pave the way for a smoother operation.

"We're mixing and matching competencies and skills that are most appropriate to each service, and trying to make them work a lot closer together," he said. Once the forces have been trained, they are assigned to areas throughout the world, as needed.

Fallon's extensive and varied career has more than prepared him for such a high-profile position. A 1967 graduate of Villanova University, he received his commission through the school's NROTC and was later designated a naval flight officer. He began his naval aviation service in 1969 flying the RA-5C Vigilante with a combat deployment to Vietnam on board the aircraft carrier USS Ranger, where he flew reconnaissance missions.

More than 20 years later, Fallon would have the opportunity to command an air wing on board the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Desert Storm. He said his experiences in both conflicts have given him a firsthand view of a changing military philosophy.

"During Vietnam, we were involved in a protracted conflict. From the perspective of the aviators, the activity was focused on surviving and doing what had to be done and to get out of there. There was no sense of this thing being drawn to closure."

He continued, "The Gulf War was considerably different, in that all forces were mobilized to a specific purpose and we had strong backing from the people at home. The leadership in the government was desirous of bringing this thing to a rapid, decisive end."

Fallon said it was during a deployment to the Indian Ocean at the time of the Iran-Iraq crisis that he decided he wanted to pursue a graduate degree. He enrolled at Old Dominion after returning to Norfolk for a new assignment and, in 1982, became one of the first graduates of the university's master's program in international studies.

Fallon has always been impressed with the resources and the economic potential of the region. Ironically, he is now in a position to help the area that he said has meant so much to him and his family.

In his position at USACOM, Fallon has helped formulate a partnership between the military, the local community and academia through Old Dominion's Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center. VMASC is a cooperative venture that uses high technology to help companies anticipate the future and prepare for it. The center applies simulation techniques developed by the military to solve problems in the commercial sector, such as transportation infrastructures.

"Old Dominion is kind of a conduit for businesses and communities in the area," he noted. "As an educational institution, it can absorb the knowledge and experience we have and pass the information on to the community."

If his personal experiences have taught him nothing else, Adm. Fallon said he has learned to appreciate the benefits of living in the United States. "The U.S. is still the best place in the world," he said. "But people are first and foremost. There's a spirit in the people of this country that is unmatched anywhere in the world."

Warrior, leader, diplomat, manager -- a naval officer might have the opportunity to wear many hats in a career that spans 32 years, but Rear Adm. Frank M. "Skip" Dirren Jr. views his most important role as that of educator.

Dirren, who is stationed in Pensacola, Fla., is the Navy's Vice Chief of Naval Education and Training.

"The mission of the Chief of Naval Education and Training is to be the owner/operator, consultant and broker for all of the education and training in the Navy," he explained. "It is a continuum of education that starts from the beginning, basically from the time we take a young civilian and place him or her in an accession program -- whether that's an enlisted person in boot camp or an officer from the Naval Academy, NROTC or Officer Candidate School -- to the day that person leaves the Navy."

Dirren is the assistant and adviser to the Chief of Naval Education and Training, who is also the Navy's first female three-star admiral, Vice Adm. Patricia Tracey. He said CNET's mission is to teach sailors and Marines skills that may be as basic as what it means to be in the military, to the more complicated task of making them experts in a technical field.

"It's a complex organization," he said. "On a daily basis, we probably have 50,000 Navy people in some school. That's a pretty big university." Dirren's own training pipeline began at Villanova University where he was a midshipman in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps. He received his bachelor's degree in English and was commissioned as an ensign in 1964. After completing two years of technical training, Dirren was designated a naval aviator. During the height of the Vietnam War, he was immediately assigned to a helicopter squadron on board the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt, which deployed from Norfolk to Southeast Asia.

"I had two tours off the coast of Vietnam, one from 1966-67 and one in 1972 on a cruiser with a helo detachment. I really felt proud to serve my country and to serve the people that were trying to win a war over there and trying to help some people.

"I have no doubt in my mind that our Navy and our armed forces tried to make this thing work. Most of the peace-lovers in the world wear uniforms, because we know what it means to do the other side of it."

In between deployments, it was back to Hampton Roads for Dirren. "I spent 19 of my 32 years in the Navy in Norfolk and Virginia Beach and I enjoyed living there. The Navy was good to keep me there, although I wasn't home very often; I was at sea. But it was good for my family and it was a wonderful place to raise a family."

Dirren and his wife, Susan, have three adult children: a son, Fran, and two daughters, Amy and Melissa.

During one of his stints in Norfolk, Dirren began graduate studies at Old Dominion, and in 1981, six years later, he received a master's degree in American literature. "Old Dominion really was very -- and certainly in the last years it has been even more so -- very good to get adults in the community back into school. The university has reached out to the community," he said.

"I thought it was the best education I had received because of the quality of the teachers. Over a period of six years, I never had anything but first-class education inside the classroom. I remember a graduate English department that worked very hard with me because I was a part-time student with a full-time job, and was moving around the country to command a ship."

A strong believer in a liberal arts education, Dirren said his years at Villanova and Old Dominion prepared him well to articulate ideas, both in writing and speaking.

Reflecting on his career, he explained how his two passions in life -- the Navy and education -- fit together for him.

"I think I've been a teacher all my life and I think that's what leaders are supposed to do: teach and shape young people as we get older. The reward I get is to see them replace me as a leader. That's what my job is -- to replace myself." Dirren said he'll probably be in the Navy another two or three years, and then will be ready to retire. It's no secret to anyone who knows him what he'll do then. "I really like shaping and changing young people -- hopefully for the better. When I retire, I'll go teach someplace to do the same thing. They keep me young. They challenge my brain. At times, they challenge my body as I jog or walk or golf, and that's fine. I like that kind of challenge because it makes changes in me that are good."

Dirren and his wife are considering returning to Hampton Roads for his retirement -- and his next career as a teacher. He said he would like to teach literature and writing.

Dirren chuckled and added, "And if Old Dominion offered me a job, I'd probably take it."

When Brig. Gen. Benjamin S. Griffin graduated from Old Dominion in 1970 with a degree in business management, he never intended to make the Army a career. But after 27 years, 20 relocations and six promotions, he's still hanging in there. Griffin is currently stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, where he is the assistant division commander for the 1st Calvary Division. It's an armor division, complete with tanks and mechanized infantry vehicles.

"We have a responsibility as one of the rapid deployment forces for the U. S. military, so we are trained and ready to deploy on short notice," he said. So how did this much-decorated soldier, who didn't even join the Army ROTC at Old Dominion, end up in the Army?

"In college, I had interviewed for a job and I was going to work for the Newport News shipyard," Griffin explained. "But it was the Vietnam era and I thought I was going to be drafted. I thought about going into the National Guard or into the reserves, but I [decided] I'd rather go on active duty and serve my obligation. My intent was to serve my country, but I really did not intend to go into the military to make it a career."

From his first assignment with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., Griffin got his overseas orders. Instead of Vietnam, however, he was sent to join the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea. It was after that tour that he and his wife, Carolyn, made the decision to stay in it for the long haul.

Not surprisingly, Griffin said one of the greatest benefits of his career has been the opportunity to travel and do new things.

"The travel has been very exciting and very rewarding. We've moved about 20 times now, my wife and I, and I've never had a bad assignment. I've served two tours in Germany, a tour in Korea and I've also served in Alaska. It's really been an enjoyable experience."

Having been reared in Emporia, a small town in southeastern Virginia, Griffin said he was at first worried about the effects his military lifestyle would have on his family.

"I was concerned about my kids moving around so much, having moved only once when I was growing up, and that was two houses up the street. But we were able to keep them in the same high school for at least two years, and that's always a tough time. I think they really enjoyed it, because it was a chance to see different places."

All three of Griffin's children are now grown and no longer travel with him and his wife. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Alaska last year and Jennifer is a senior there now. Griffin's son, Jason, is marking his own territory as a sailor in the U. S. Navy.

Griffin's travels occasionally bring him through Hampton Roads, and he's had a chance to see the growth that has taken place at his alma mater since he was an undergraduate. "I was amazed at the changes and the new buildings. It looks good," he said.

In the 27 years since he left Old Dominion, a lot has changed for Griffin, too. On his way up the military ladder to his current one-star general rank, he has commanded battalions in Germany and brigades in Alaska. He's even earned an M.B.A. from Mercer University along the way.

His next assignment, he said, will be as director of Force Programs Integration with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans at the Pentagon, where he will report next summer.

Where others might look at another new assignment and dwell on the negative aspects of picking up and moving once again, Griffin views each new tour of duty with optimism and expectation.

"The most rewarding thing about my career has been the people I've had a chance to work with," he said. "We've served and worked with foreign services and other U. S. services, and we've really met some super people.

"And I wouldn't trade it, I wouldn't trade a thing I've done. I've enjoyed it. Just to serve the nation -- it's really been a great experience."

A native Virginian, Brig. Gen. Henry (Pete) Osman began his career in the Marine Corps after enlisting in 1967. He was later selected to participate in an officer program and received his commission after graduating from Old Dominion in 1969, where he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry.

An infantry officer, Osman was ordered overseas where, among other assignments, he served in Vietnam as a rifle platoon commander with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. He also served on the staff of The Basic School, the Marine Corps' premier officer training command.

Osman completed a deployment on board the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower as the commander of the Marine Detachment. He has also served in a number of high-profile positions in Washington, D. C.

Gen. Osman was recently reassigned to San Diego, Calif., where he manages the recruiting and training of new Marines on the West Coast as the commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Western Recruiting Region. He and his wife, Laura, have one daughter.