Thursday, February 27, 2025

Lafayette native serves aboard Navy aircraft carrier in San Diego

By Megan Lemly, Navy Office of Community Outreach

SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel W. Doucet, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, serves aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of San Diego, California.
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter,
Navy Public Affairs Support Element West 


Doucet graduated from Acadiana High School in 2020.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lafayette.

“Everyone in my hometown is strong-willed and determined,” Doucet said. “Growing up around them taught me to grit my teeth and deal with everything with a positive mindset.”

Doucet joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Doucet serves as an information systems technician.

“I joined the Navy because it was a great way to lean into adult life at a young age,” Doucet said. “Knowing I could start a career with a job I could pick in the Navy also inspired my decision.”

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 on the world’s oceans. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and combat capability of its air wing.

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.

Doucet has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am most proud of completing deployment,” Doucet said. “Deploying for five months has been one of the most grueling things I’ve accomplished in my career so far, but it has changed my life for the better.”

Doucet 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 gives me a sense of pride that no one can take away because I know I can lay down my life at any moment like my forefathers,” Doucet said.

Doucet is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I want to thank my mom and dad, Jolane and David Doucet, for their encouragement and advice,” Doucet added. “I also want to thank all my friends and family. The military runs pretty deep in my family, and having my family members’ support and knowledge has gotten me a long way.”