Photo By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Wyscaver
BREMERTON, Wash. – A Jacksonville, Florida, native and 2009 Ed White High School graduate is serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, a floating airport at sea.
A Navy personnel specialist is responsible for handling pay and personnel issues for crew members, as well as handling transfers and separations.
“I deal with travel claims for transfers, ensuring there are no issues during the transfer process for sailors,” said Domio.
Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the crew of John C. Stennis, with an additional 2,000 sailors assigned to the ship’s embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 9.
Named in honor of former Senator John C. Stennis from Mississippi, the carrier is longer than three football fields, measuring nearly 1,100 feet. The ship, a true floating city, weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a flight deck that is 252 feet wide.
When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea.
Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship. The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.
Domio combines the lessons learned from both the Navy and Jacksonville to take personal responsibility in performing assigned tasks and leading others.
“Since I'm a little older in the Navy, I've had a lot of life lessons growing up before this point,” said Domio. "It's made me more comfortable with myself, and I'm able to come into this with a more mature mindset."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Domio and other John C. Stennis sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means I'm doing something bigger than myself, and I get the opportunity to prove myself by helping out people,” said Domio. "You're helping out your shipmates, and I like the selfless mindset you need for that."