SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Jalon Edwards, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, serves aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of San Diego, California.
Edwards graduated from Germantown High School in 2013.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Memphis.
“I learned growing up how to overcome difficult situations and how to work hard,” Edwards said. "From getting qualifications to executing my mission on deployment, I apply my work ethic every day here.”
Edwards joined the Navy nine years ago. Today, Edwards serves as an aviation ordnanceman.
“I joined the Navy because I was also looking for a track scholarship but it ended up falling through,” Edwards said. “After looking for different opportunities, my dad guided me to the Navy because of all the opportunities it provided him."
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.
Edwards has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of attending my dad’s retirement ceremony and my sister’s reenlistment ceremony while I’ve been serving in the Navy,” Edwards said. "To have the opportunity to serve beside both of them has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Edwards 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 the world to me,” Edwards said. "It has taught me a lot of discipline and how to be a great father and individual. It has helped me grow into the person I am today."
Edwards is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my parents and my entire family,” Edwards added. "My dad was in the service, and my mom experienced the military throughout her life with him. I can come to them with career or life advice and they always provide the needed support. I also just want to shout out to my family in general. Although I don’t go home often, I am thinking about them every day.”