NORFOLK, Va. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Drozen, a native of Barboursville, Virginia, is one of more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard the self-contained mobile airport, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jereome Fjeld, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Drozen graduated in 2017 from Albemarle High School.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Barboursville.
“In Barboursville, I learned that ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one’,” said Drozen. "Putting the needs of others ahead of individual desires and goals to complete a bigger dream or vision is such an important concept."
Drozen joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Drozen serves as an electronics technician, nuclear.
“My sister joined the Army and inspired me to join as well,” said Drozen. "I found out about the nuclear program in the Navy and it sounded like a good way to serve while also having skills that transferred into the civilian sector well.”
Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide.
According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere in the world. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and the combat capability of its air wing.
“Mighty IKE” is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of only four five-star U.S. Army generals and a hero of World War II who would later serve as the 34th president of the United States. Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, the carrier is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons.
This year commemorates 50 years of women flying in the U.S. Navy. In 1973, the first eight women began flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Six of them, known as “The First Six,” earned their “Wings of Gold” one year later. Over the past 50 years, the Navy has expanded its roles for women to lead and serve globally, and today women aviators project power from the sea in every type of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft. According to Navy officials, our nation and our Navy are stronger because of their service.
Serving in the Navy means Drozen 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 ability to put planes anywhere they need to be is very significant to national defense,” said Drozen. "It allows us to reach areas of operation that we otherwise would not be able to do without a sea presence."
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
Drozen has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I think one of my best accomplishments is becoming a qualifying reactor operator,” said Drozen. "It is our senior in-rate qualification and it has taken me three and a half years of training to complete the process. I had to prove I knew how to accomplish reactor operations, implement casualty responses and a whole lot more."
As Drozen and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.
“It is important to me to be able to support the larger mission and do my part to ensure that national defense is maintained,” said Drozen.
Drozen is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“There are many people who have impacted me, especially after joining the Navy,” added Drozen. "There is one instructor in particular who had one of the most meaningful conversations with me and that really showed me how I can be a better person and sailor."