GREAT LAKES, Ill. - Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and this training requires highly-dedicated instructors.
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| Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Joy, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
At Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), instructors at advanced technical schools teach sailors to be highly skilled, operational, and combat ready warfighters, while providing the tools and opportunities for continuous learning and development.
Seaman Apprentice Delaine Tansil-Doutherd, a native of Detroit, Michigan, is a student at NETC, learning the necessary skills needed to be an operations specialist.
As an operations specialist, Tansil-Doutherd is responsible for operating radars, scanning enemy ships, communicating through radios and navigating ships through the seas.
Tansil-Doutherd, a 2015 graduate of Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas, joined the Navy three months ago.
“I joined the Navy to use as a foundation,” said Tansil-Doutherd. “I make music, Youtube videos, and I use the Navy to take it to the next level. I wanted to travel and see the world, buy a house and start a family.”
According to Tansil-Doutherd, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Detroit.
“When I was 11, my mother passed away,” said Tansil-Doutherd. “My father moved us around to different cities in the states. During my sophomore year in high school, I moved to Texas. I learned to be adaptive in my surroundings. This will help me in my naval career because you are always going to different locations when serving with the Navy.”
Students attend advanced technical schools after “boot camp.” They are taught the basic technical knowledge and skills required to be successful in their new careers.
NETC educates and trains those who serve, providing the tools and opportunities which enable life-long learning, professional and personal growth and development, ensuring fleet readiness and mission accomplishment.
Made up of six commands, NETC provides a continuum of professional education and training in support of Surface Navy requirements that prepare enlisted sailors and officers to serve at sea, providing apprentice and specialized skills training to 7,500 sailors a year.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Serving in the Navy means Tansil-Doutherd is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy’s purpose for our national defense is vital because we protect everyone’s freedoms,” said Tansil-Doutherd.
As Tansil-Doutherd and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means setting a legacy and being a part of generations worth of history,” added Tansil-Doutherd.
Tansil-Doutherd's father, Shelton, and step-mother, Maria Doutherd, both reside in Little Elm, Texas.