Commander Alan W. Young enlisted in the Navy in August 1994 as part of the Navy Nuclear Power Program. He attended Recruit Training in Orlando, Florida, before moving on to Machinist Mate Nuclear Field 'A' School and Nuclear Power School, also in Orlando. After completing training, he reported to the Modifications and Additions to Reactor Facility (MARF) prototype at the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa, New York, where he served as a staff instructor from April 1996 to June 1998.
Following his time at the prototype, he reported to the USS Alabama (SSBN 731) Gold Crew in Bangor, Washington, completing four Trident patrols and one Extended Refit Period. He served as the Machinery Division Training Petty Officer and Engineering Department Assistant Quality Assurance Officer. In February 2001, he transferred to the Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bangor, where he worked as the Material Expeditor and Shop Mechanic in the Valve and Pump Repair shop.
In April 2002, he transferred to the USS Tucson (SSN 770) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, serving as the Machinery Division Leading Petty Officer and Assistant Quality Assurance Officer. During this tour, he completed two Western Pacific deployments, three Eastern Pacific deployments, and a Selected Restricted Availability (SRA). After advancing to Chief Petty Officer, he returned to the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa in December 2004 for Staff Instructor duty, serving as the Training Coordinator. He was selected for commissioning as a Limited Duty Officer and was commissioned in January 2006.
After completing Officer Indoctrination School in Pensacola, Florida, Commander Young reported to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) where he served as the Auxiliary Technical Assistant and Reactor Training Division Officer. He completed two Western Pacific deployments and a Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) during this tour. In October 2008, he transferred to the USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) as the Electrical Repair Division Officer and Planning and Estimating Officer during the ship’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) conversion and change of homeport from Bremerton, Washington, to Diego Garcia.
In November 2010, he transferred to the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the Electrical Officer during a DPIA and two Western Pacific deployments. In July 2013, he moved to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he served as the Off-Yard Operations Officer, overseeing planning and execution of all off-yard, non-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availability work. He then transferred to Commander, Submarine Group Seven in Yokosuka, Japan, in July 2015, where he served as the Materials Officer and Quality Assurance Officer, coordinating material and logistical support for deployed submarines in the Fifth and Seventh Fleet area of responsibility.
In December 2018, Commander Young returned to the USS Nimitz as the Reactor Maintenance Officer, completing a 15-month DPIA, a Planning Incremental Availability (PIA), and two Western Pacific deployments. In May 2022, he moved to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment San Diego, California, as the Production Management Assistant and Repair Officer, overseeing the completion of 10 submarine maintenance availabilities. In September 2023, he transferred to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the Chief Engineer during a Western Pacific deployment.
In February 2026, he reported to Trident Refit Facility, Bangor, where he currently serves as the Executive Officer.
Commander Young has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (seven awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation (two awards), Navy Unit Commendation (two awards), Navy Battle 'E' Award (four awards), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and various unit awards.