SAN DIEGO – A 2002 Harlandale High School graduate and San Antonio, Texas, native is serving aboard the WWII namesake warship, USS Spruance.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Laura Perez is an operations specialist aboard the San Diego based ship, a guided missile destroyer.
As an operations specialist, Perez is responsible for identifying any surface, air and enemy contacts.
More than 300 Sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
Perez has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“My parents instilled a good work ethic and teamwork and I bring these values with me everyday because we can't get the job done until we all do it together,” he said.
Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. They are about 510 feet long and can be armed with tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, variants of the SM missile family, advanced gun systems and close-in gun systems. Destroyers are deployed globally and can operate independently, as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, or amphibious readiness groups.
Spruance is armed with long range missiles intended for air defense to counter threats to friendly forces posed by manned aircraft, anti-ship, cruise and ballistic missiles.
It was commissioned in 2011 and named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. He was a key naval commander during WWII, leading U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: Battle of Midway and Battle of the Philippine Sea. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
At Midway, Spruance scored the first major victory for the United States over Japan; generally considered to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
“USS Spruance is responsible for 22 mission areas, with 350 people onboard each Sailor actively supports multiple missions, said Cmdr. Joshua Menzel, commanding officer of Spruance. “As a member of the Pacific Fleet, the crew of USS SPRUANCE patrol the same waters and trains to perform the same missions as the Sailors Admiral Spruance commanded during WWII.”
Perez’s proudest accomplishment was receiving three Navy and Marine Achievement Medals for her tremendous work ethic and teamwork skills.
“I’ve been in for 14 years and I have something to show for all the hard that I've done throughout my Naval Service. It gives me a sense of accomplishment being recognized by the leadership of this command,” she added.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Perez and other Spruance sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“It's setting an example for my daughter and to let her know that with hard work, you can achieve your goals no matter the obstacles that stand in your way,” said Perez.