MYSTIC, Conn. — A Marine Corps veteran from Quaker Hill was recently awarded high security electronics and an HVAC system from Work Vessels for Vets, a Mystic nonprofit that provides equipment to injured U.S. military veterans who are operating their own businesses.
According to a release this week from the nonprofit, USMC Sgt. Christopher D. Connelly was gifted the tools for his family-owned, small batch circuit board manufacturer and repair shop in Quaker Hill, a neighborhood in Waterford.
The release said Connelly is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He holds the Military Occupational Specialties of Communication Security and Micro-Miniature Repair.
Connelly was injured during his third deployment to Iraq. After being discharged, he took on the role of a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, spending two years as a force protection analyst, planner and lead technician for Southwest Asia, according to Work Vessels for Vets.
The nonprofit said Connelly has been working in electronics for more than two decades. In 2023, he founded CMB Circuits LLC, the Quaker Hill-based small batch circuit board manufacturer and repair shop. According to the release, the company prioritizes quality over quantity and carries the motto, “We are our brothers’ keeper!”
The release said CMB Circuits currently holds contracts with Metro-North Railroad and Don Brown bus sales.
“Our vision is to increase the quality of circuit board assemblies by reducing the quantity that we produce,” Connelly said in the release. “By not having the volume of a large company, we don’t have to take a sample size of the produced material for inspection and can instead inspect every piece individually.”
Cathy Cook of Work Vessels for Vets said in the release that she is impressed with the “unique” business concept.
“CMB Circuits is able to do what larger companies are able to do but with less staffing and more dedicated service,” Cook said in the release. “Sgt. Connelly’s team compromises those with direct expertise in their fields as well as advisors with over 50 years total in small business operation.”
In addition to operating his business out of the neighborhood in New London County, Connelly lives in Quaker Hill with his wife D’Anne and his dog Cooper, the release said. Together, the couple serves on the leadership team at Huntington Street Baptist Church and works with multiple veteran organizations throughout the country.
Connelly has also run a monthly video check in for veterans since 2019 to improve mental health, according to the release.
On Friday, Work Vessels for Vets honored Connelly at the nonprofit’s 16th Anniversary Celebration at Mystic Oysters on Main Street in Noank, a village in Groton.
Since its establishment in 2008, Work for Vessels has awarded over 3,850 veterans in all 50 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands with equipment valued at $4 million for their start-up businesses, the release said, noting that the nonprofit earns the highest charity ratings for donor integrity, transparency and efficiency.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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