Following completion of OCS, Captain Donovan volunteered for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and was subsequently assigned to the EOD School as a student.

Following completion of the Explosive Ordnance School, Captain Donovan was assigned to the Special Weapons Disposal for further instruction and then ordered to the Naval Ordnance Laboratory at White Oak, Maryland, where he participated in many of the field test of both conventional and special weapons now in the fleet.

Included in this tour was a six month assignment with the Pacific JTF conducting atomic testing in the Marshall Islands.

In 1956, he reported to the USS INTREPID (CVA-11) as the EOD/SWD Officer and 5" Battery Officer. His next assignment in 1958 was an Operations Officer and Executive Officer of the USS LEARY from from 1958-60. In 1960, Captain Donovan became aide to Chief MAAG Norway and in 1962, he attended the U.S, Navy Postgraduate School at Monterey, CA where he received an MA in Management.

Upon completion of his graduate work, Captain Donovan took command of the HSS LOCATOR (AQt-7) in 1963. The LOCATOR was assigned to the operational control of NORAD and served as a forward part of the early warning net off the western coast of the U.S, and Canada.

In 1965, the LOCATOR was decommissioned and Captain Donovan was ordered to the Naval Academy for Instructor duty in the area of management.

From 1965-68, Captain Donovan served not only as an instructor an the management program, but also as Academic Officer for the Naval Science Department, where he devoted much effort in developing curriculum changes to improve the professional program at the Academy.

From 1968-69, Captain Donovan served in the Staff of COMUSMACV as a logistics plans officer. His primary duties-were in the development of a computer base program for various alternative plans for relocation of forces from Vietnam. Captain Donovan was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts in developing the program and was ordered to the USS Floyd B. Parks in September. of 1969 as Commanding Officer. In July of 1971, he was ordered to COMASWFORPAC as Surface ASW Plans Officer.

Captain Donovan was detached from COMASWFORPAC in November 1972, and reported to Human Resource Management Center, Pearl Harbor, as the Executive Officer and assumed his current rank of Captain. As Executive Officer, Captain Donovan was instrumental in the total development and implementation of the Human Resource Management Cycle and Phase II Equal Opportunity Program in the Pacific Fleet. In January 1975, Captain Donovan detached and reported to Memphis as the first Commanding Officer of the Human Resource Management School.

In June 1979, he was detached and reported to the-Chief of Naval Education and Training, Pensacola, as Special Assistant for Human Resource Management. In this role, he implemented and managed the largest leadership and management program ever undertaken with the seventeen school sites and approximately 28,000 annual graduates. He was also tasked with the development of education programs in equal opportunity, and drug and alcohol education.

Captain Donovan is married to the former Mary Riley of Miles City, Montana. They have two children: Mark Henry and Michelle Riley