NORFOLK, Va. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Esquivel, a native of Dallas, Texas, serves aboard USS George H.W. Bush, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sylvie Carafiol Navy Public Affairs Support Element East |
Esquivel graduated from Lakeview Centennial High School in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Dallas.
“I learned early on that you have to take pride in what you do,” Esquivel said. "I always remember where I came from and how I grew up with my parents instilling the values of hard work. That is a huge thing and keeps me grounded."
Esquivel joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Esquivel serves as an information systems technician.
“I joined the Navy because I didn't want to go to college right away, and I knew the Navy would help me pay for it,” Esquivel said. "I didn't see myself staying in the Navy beyond my first enlistment, but the people I work with are amazing. We pick each other up, and I learned quickly that nobody does this job alone. We have to be here for each other."
Commissioned in 2009, the aircraft carrier is named for George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States and a former naval aviator. The ship was the first aircraft carrier to have its namesake participate in its christening.
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.
The Navy’s aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world. Bush 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.
Esquivel has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment has been being selected for Sailor of the Quarter this year,” Esquivel said. "I did not expect that. Also getting a Joint Service Commendation Medal when I worked with all of the services at the National Security Agency on Fort Meade in Maryland. Seeing how much they valued me and appreciated me was a great feeling."
Esquivel 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 I have the opportunity to work with so many great people from all these different places and then discovering we are not very different, and we all want basically the same things,” Esquivel said.
Esquivel is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher McClain for being someone I can look up to and always being open to all of his Sailors' ideas and always being willing to help us out,” Esquivel added. "I especially want to thank my wife, Blanca, for being the rock of our family. She is an amazing mom to our two daughters and makes our lives better with everything she does. I know I could not do what she does. We are underway so much, and she always supports me and keeps everything together at home."