NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathanael Goyette, a native of Rochester, New Hampshire, 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 Alexander Morneau, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East |
Goyette graduated from Spalding High School in 2020.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Rochester.
“Growing up in Rochester, I learned to make the best out of everything,” Goyette said. “There wasn’t a lot there, so you really felt like you had to enjoy every good thing as much as possible. That is similar to the Navy sometimes. Everything may not always be great or fun, but you make the best of it and enjoy the great people you meet.”
Goyette joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Goyette serves as an interior communications electrician.
“I joined the Navy to continue the line of service my family started back with my great-great-grandfathers when they immigrated from France and Ireland respectively,” Goyette said. “I not only wanted to continue the tradition, but I wanted to earn my stripes and make my own mark while developing professionally and personally.”
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.
Goyette has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am proud of helping with so many major evolutions in the centralized work control team (CWTC), from flooding the dry dock to moving the ship, to every rollover since March 2024,” Goyette said.
Goyette serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“My service in the Navy means so much to me,” Goyette said. “Joining the Navy gave me a way out and it has been the best stepping stone of my life.”
Goyette is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mom, Jessica, my brother, Gabe, my sister Kaylyne, and my father, Joey, for always supporting my decision to serve and for their continued encouragement,” Goyette said. “I also want to thank my girlfriend, Allie, who is always there for me and for her understanding of the demands of the Navy.”
“My future goal is to earn my enlisted surface warfare specialist qualification and, hopefully, convert to be a legalman or cryptologic technician,” Goyette added.