NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Hospitalman Alex Brust, a native of Evansville, Indiana, serves aboard USS John C. Stennis, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Newport News, Virginia. Aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Sage Valarde, USS John C. Stennis |
Brust graduated from F.J. Reitz High School in 2014.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Evansville.
“I learned growing up the importance of hard work,” Brust said. “My hometown is full of nurses and doctors, so there are plenty of people who work hard every day. More often than not, you will find people in the Navy show up to work every day and get the job done because that is just what we have to do.”
Brust joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Brust serves as a hospital corpsman.
“My sister has been in the Navy for 13 years,” Brust said. "She joined when she was 27 and I'd figured I would do the same. It's good motivation when you see someone in your family doing good."
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. USS John C. Stennis is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. More than 5,000 sailors serve aboard these self-contained mobile airports,
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.
Brust has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of finishing lab school and earning my American Society for Clinical Pathology certification,” Brust said. “The school is incredibly hard. It is like three years of school packed into one. So, it was very rewarding when I finished.”
Brust serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
Brust is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my sister, Kaylen Tippett, for helping me whenever I have questions and for always guiding me,” Brust added. “I also want to thank Jeff and Raven Brustt, who have been so supportive ever since I decided to join. They have always been there for me and always root for me no matter what is going on.”