Cdr. Gaulrapp was sworn into the U.S. Naval Reserve in May 1966 and entered Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) on August 31, 1966, Pensacola, Florida. After Officer Commissioning as an Ensign in November 1966 he entered the Naval Flight Training Program beginning flying the T-34 at Saufley Field. Once completing the basic flight program he started secondary flight training in the T-28 at Whiting Field, culminating with Carrier Qualifications. After completing secondary training he travelled to Corpus Christi, Texas for Multi-engine training in the S-2 and associated carrier qualifications. After further training in Anti-Submarine Warfare in San Diego, CA he entered the P-3 Replacement Air Group at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California.
Three deployments followed with VP-47 starting with a split deployment in Sangley Point, Philippines and Cam Rahn Bay, Viet Nam - 68-69', then Naha, Okinawa and Cam Rahn Bay - Jan-July 1970, an lastly Adak, Alaska in early 1971 completing his active duty.
In January 1973 Lt. Gaulrapp joined the Naval Reserve unit at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. In 1973 he transferred to RTU-64 Willow Grove, PA and flew the P-2 for about six months. He started flying the P-3 again for VP-64 on July 22nd 1973 exactly 2 years from his last flight with VP-47.
In June 1975 he transferred to VP-92 at South Weymouth and flew there until August 1981 when promoted to Commander and no additional flight billets were available having completed over 2500 flight hours. Three more years of non-pay duty followed with the Reserve Center in Hartford and then a move to Washington, DC in 1985 to drill with the Reserve Center at Andrews Air Force Base.
While on a two week active duty at the Pentagon in 1986 he answered a request for a position with the Surface Warfare Group at Dam Neck, VA and drilled there until May 1992 completing 26 years of service.

Official retirement and benefits began in October 2007.