Marilyn Gary Orbann

Marilyn Gary Orbann grew up in a Navy family and spent years in Guam and Japan as a child. After graduating from the University of San Diego in 1972, Marilyn joined the Navy. She went to Officer Candidates’ School in Newport, RI, and attended the last class of “women-only” officer candidates. Her graduating class was among the first to be offered overseas initial assignments and she jumped at the chance to go to Iceland for a one-year tour. She arrived in Keflavik, Iceland as the first of two women to be assigned to the Naval Facility. Marilyn met and married her husband in Iceland, another Navy officer, and they both received orders to San Diego in 1974. 

Marilyn resigned from active duty in 1978 and became a drilling Reservist, where she completed exercises in Hawaii, Italy, and Kenya. She maintained her affiliation with the reserves while raising four children and accompanying her Navy husband during his active duty career overseas. While living in Kenya from 1986-1988, Marilyn worked as the Ambassador’s social secretary. While living in South Africa from 1990-1993, Marilyn supported her husband in his role as Naval Attaché while also working at the embassy as a computer operator, contributing to the growth of the embassy Information Management Center. Marilyn fully retired, at the rank of Commander, in 1994.

MEDALS-RIBBONS: Armed Forces Reserve

Marilyn served at Fleet Training Center,
San Diego and Naval Facility Keflavik. In
the Reserves, her assignments involved
five Naval Control of Shipping Units and
one Military Sealift Command Unit.