Bigfork native retires from Navy

Ann Quarles celebrated her retirement from the United States Navy on Nov. 20.

Hospital Corpsman First Class Quarles was born in Bigfork, where she graduated from high school before attending the University of Montana, then enlisting in the Navy in 1995.

She completed basic training, and in 1996 and went on to Hospital Corpsman school. Her first duty station was the Naval Medical Center in San Diego where she worked in the Pediatric Sub-Specialty Clinic and became a pediatric gastroenterologist technician. She attended Dermatology school in 1998 at the Naval School of Health and Sciences.

Quarles was the leading petty officer of seven dental departments before moving to the Administrative Department and working with the Dean. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Social Science from the University of Maryland University College in May 2008.

In 2010 she was selected as Sailor of the Year.

Her final command was the Uniformed Services University serving in the Military Personnel Office and as the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing.