Tree Dedicated for Chapter Member

In December, the chapter dedicated a tree at 306 Sentinel Drive in Annapolis Junction to honor the late Capt. Kirk N. Harness, USN (Ret.), of Gambrills, Maryland, for his dedication to his country and service within the intelligence community. Capt. Harness served two terms as the chapter's vice president for the Defense Information Systems Agency. He was taken away from us too early but he lived it to the fullest. Capt. Harness lost his battle to cancer on September 7, 2011, at the age of 52. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1981 with a Bachelors of Science degree in mathematics and received a Master of Science in space, systems operations and system technology in 1989 from the Naval Postgraduate School. He spent 26 years as naval officer with experience as a surface warfare and cryptologic officer. Following his retirement from the Navy, Capt. Harness joined BAE Systems as a director of network systems with a main focus on computer network operations supporting the Defense Department and the intelligence community. Funeral services were held at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis, Maryland, on September 16, 2011. An interment service with full military honors was held at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, on December 5, 2011. Capt. Harness' dedication to national security along with his positive attitude, smile and willingness to help others will be dearly missed.