Glen Acord joined the US Navy in September 26,1988 and was sent to Great Lakes Training Center in Waukegan Illinois, for Basic Training and then subsequently attended Boiler Technician "A” School there through April 1989, after which he was assigned to the USS-Guam LPH-9 Helicopter Carrier, stationed in Norfolk Va. Upon arrival, the ship was in dry dock in Portsmouth Va shipyard where he experienced the inner workings of the ship’s steam boilers, steam driven pumps, blowers, and all auxiliary equipment.

After leaving the shipyard the ship was sent to Guantanamo Bay Cuba for 6 weeks of vigorous operations and readiness training. Upon completion the Guam cruised the gulf and East Coast porting in New Orleans LA, Moorehead City NC, Yorktown Va, Boston MA, and Quebec, Canada.

In August of 1990 the USS Guam was assigned to go the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. After porting in Rota, Spain the Guam navigated the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, and Red Sea and spent 9 months in the Persian Gulf transporting 2000 Marines and equipment around the Gulf and deploying them to various locations in and around Kuwait where Glen operated and performed maintenance on two 600 psi Deisel Marine Boilers, and related equipment.

During the Gulf deployment the USS-Guam was dispatched to Somalia in January of 1991 to rescue and evacuate the United States embassy in Mogadishu, 281 (with a 282nd born aboard ship) diplomats and civilians from 30 countries, in "Operation Eastern Exit” and transported to Muscat, Oman.

Glen was honorably discharged on September 26, 1992. After discharge, Glen worked in the HVAC industry, then went to work at the Virginia Tech Power Plant in 1993, during which time he built his own house, went to college and earned a degree in Instrumentation Technology that he applied to his positions at Virginia Tech.