SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 1st Class Marco Genaomedina, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Genaomedina graduated from East High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Anchorage.
“I'm an immigrant from the Dominican Republic so growing up, I learned the importance of patience and perseverance,” Genaomedina said. “In the Navy, these lessons are important because you have to keep pushing through the tough moments. Being away from family is hard but you have to have perseverance to keep going. Patience on the other hand applies to anything in life. Patience will help you understand where sailors are coming from and will help you be a better leader.”
Genaomedina joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Genaomedina serves as an aviation electronics technician.
“I joined the Navy because they had the best recruiter,” Genaomedina said. “I was not thinking I was going to join the military originally but I went to a job fair with one of my friends and a recruiter found me there. She pointed to me and acted goofy. I didn't know much about the Navy but she was wearing her service uniform and I was curious about it. She talked about the opportunities and she was Puerto Rican,m which I had a soft spot for since I am Dominican. She talked to me about all the benefits of the Navy like being able to travel the world and eventually, she convinced me to join. It all worked out and here I am seven years later.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Genaomedina has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of getting recognition for performing funeral honors for one of the last survivors of Pearl Harbor,” Genaomedina said. “It was a humbling experience to be able to give the family closure.”
Genaomedina serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means being a part of a bigger cause,” Genaomedina said.
Genaomedina is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my family, especially my mom and sister, for being there for me through everything,” Genaomedina added. “I also want to thank my friends for their support and for giving me a much-needed break from the military when I needed it. Lastly, I want to thank my mentors for the guidance they’ve given me over the years. One thing I’ve learned from them is to not guess because when you guess, you lose credibility. That lesson has helped me a lot throughout my Navy career.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Anchorage.
“I'm an immigrant from the Dominican Republic so growing up, I learned the importance of patience and perseverance,” Genaomedina said. “In the Navy, these lessons are important because you have to keep pushing through the tough moments. Being away from family is hard but you have to have perseverance to keep going. Patience on the other hand applies to anything in life. Patience will help you understand where sailors are coming from and will help you be a better leader.”
Genaomedina joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Genaomedina serves as an aviation electronics technician.
“I joined the Navy because they had the best recruiter,” Genaomedina said. “I was not thinking I was going to join the military originally but I went to a job fair with one of my friends and a recruiter found me there. She pointed to me and acted goofy. I didn't know much about the Navy but she was wearing her service uniform and I was curious about it. She talked about the opportunities and she was Puerto Rican,m which I had a soft spot for since I am Dominican. She talked to me about all the benefits of the Navy like being able to travel the world and eventually, she convinced me to join. It all worked out and here I am seven years later.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Genaomedina has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of getting recognition for performing funeral honors for one of the last survivors of Pearl Harbor,” Genaomedina said. “It was a humbling experience to be able to give the family closure.”
Genaomedina serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means being a part of a bigger cause,” Genaomedina said.
Genaomedina is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my family, especially my mom and sister, for being there for me through everything,” Genaomedina added. “I also want to thank my friends for their support and for giving me a much-needed break from the military when I needed it. Lastly, I want to thank my mentors for the guidance they’ve given me over the years. One thing I’ve learned from them is to not guess because when you guess, you lose credibility. That lesson has helped me a lot throughout my Navy career.”