SAN DIEGO - A 2015 Impact Early College High School graduate and Baytown, Texas, native recently received the Junior Sailor of the Quarter Award, 4th Quarter, serving aboard PCU Cincinnati.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Cederick Godfrey is a boatswain's mate serving with LCS Crew 214, PCU Cincinnati Gold. A Navy boatswain's mate is responsible for maintaining lines, life rafts, Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB), capstans, and many other safety and general operations of the ship.
"My favorite thing about my rate, is the leadership roles and higher responsibility you gain as a lower ranking sailor and the best part of my command, is my shipmates," Godfrey said. "They always want to see everyone succeed, and they are always there to not only help during tough times, but are there whey need a friend or someone to talk to.”
When asked what does receiving this award mean to him, Godfrey said, “Helping others and striving to be the best person I can be is something I will always continue to strive for. It’s the way I was raised and I am proud of that. Nothing in life is easy, but the thoughts and feelings you get when you know you have helped others or made a difference in someone’s life makes it all worthwhile.”
“BM3 Godfrey has been a stellar sailor, helping out in multiples areas throughout the command," said Mineman Chief Petty Officer Kevin Williammee. "He truly takes pride in everything he does, and we are lucky to have him.”
PCU Cincinnati, approximately 418 feet in length with a width of nearly 104 feet, is the Navy's future Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS) and the fifth ship to be named for Cincinnati, Ohio. A LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused- platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.
Godfrey credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Baytown.
"I learned the Navy core values at home before enlisting in the Navy," Godfrey said. "You have to honor yourself in a way that respects yourself and others, you have to commit to being the person you know you are and to doing the right thing."
Godfrey has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
"My grandfather’s service in the Army was a big factor in my choice to join the military," Godfrey said.
Godfrey’s greatest accomplishment serving in the Navy is receiving his first Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal serving on his first ship.
"With a NAM being a highly notable achievement and my first one, I am most proud of it because it shows my command awareness of my hard work and dedication to not only making myself a better sailor, but making the ship’s environment better for everyone," Godfrey said.
Serving in the Navy has made Godfrey a better overall person both professionally and personally.
“Serving in the Navy for me, follows the same ideology as its core values of honor, courage, and commitment," Godfrey said. "This is more than just something you have in the Navy, but something you carry with you at all times and you have to have the courage to continue doing what is right regardless of how others want you to be or perceive you.”
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