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. Jake 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 Tomas Spears, a native of Temple, Georgia, is a student at NETC, learning the necessary skills needed to be an operations specialist.
As an operations specialist, Spears will be responsible for ensuring the safety of a ship by tracking radar systems and conducting a variety of operations, ranging from navigation to air warfare.
Spears, a 2021 Temple High School graduate, joined the Navy four years ago.
“I joined the Navy to better myself and develop character," said Spears. "I found it to be a way to discover new things.”
According to Spears, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Temple.
“I learned how to interact and work with different people from diverse backgrounds,” said Spears.
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 Spears 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 is important to our national defense because it protects our waters and coastlines," said Spears.
As Spears 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 up my future family," added Spears. "I want to set up my future kids and grandchildren with a great life. I learned about generational wealth, so the Navy can help me have financial success. Hopefully, everything I earn from this can go to my family.”