MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Lt. Nicholis Thomas, from Guam, was recently promoted to lieutenant while serving the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Michael Monsoor, currently forward-deployed to the Indo-Pacific region.
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| Lt. Nicholis Thomas, left, serves as a surface warfare officer aboard USS Michael Monsoor. |
Thomas graduated from Guam High School in 2013. Additionally, Thomas earned a degree from the University of Guam in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Guam.
“In Guam, there wasn’t always much to do, so it allowed me to focus on my studies and the gym,” Thomas said. “It gave me the perspective of living life on a small island, which allowed me to enjoy my travels to different cities around the world, such as Tokyo, San Diego, Singapore, Manila, Da Nang in Vietnam, and Busan in Korea. If it wasn’t for growing up in Guam, I never would have had the wanderlust to turn my life upside down and join the Navy.”
Thomas joined the Navy more than four years ago.
“I joined the Navy to explore the world and to have crazy life experiences,” Thomas said. “I would say joining the Navy has accomplished this goal. The job does take a toll on your family and personal life, but I would not take back the experiences I have gained since it has given me a broader perspective on life as a whole.”
Today, Thomas serves as a surface warfare officer.
“The job as a surface warfare officer is varied, and it’s different for each individual,” Thomas said. “But I’d say it’s split off into three parts: division management, taking care of a group of sailors and helping to maintain their equipment and administrative needs; ship driving, learning the ins and outs of how a ship operates to be able to drive it to support the mission; and war fighting, specializing in a particular warfare area, such as anti-submarine warfare, to be able to fight utilizing the capabilities of our ship as required.”
Monsoor, a Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer, was commissioned in 2019 and is named for Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of three other SEALs and eight Iraqi Army allies during an insurgent attack in Iraq in 2006. Zumwalt-class destroyers maximize stealth, size, power and computing capacity, fielding an array of weapons systems and cutting-edge technologies to fight forces in the air, on and under the sea, and on land.
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.
Thomas has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’ve been able to travel to different countries and make all different types of connections and friends,” Thomas said. “The life experiences that I’ve gained, I would say, are something I’m proud of the most.”
Thomas 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 has been a good starting point in my professional life upon graduating from college,” Thomas said. “It has allowed me to see different perspectives and experience a whole range of wild adventures. It has taught me that life, overall, is a balance of chaos and order, with its peaks and valleys. Sometimes you just have to keep walking to see where life takes you next and to accept the good as well as the bad.”
Thomas is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.