by Mass
Communication Specialist 2nd Class Amanda L. Owens, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
(MILLINGTON, Tenn.) – Navy Midshipman Gabriela C. De Peralta
from Alliance, Ohio, participated in the 2017 spring Navy Reserve Officer
Training Corps (NROTC) ship selection draft as a future member of the U.S.
Navy’s Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) community.
More than 280 midshipmen at Navy Reserve Officer Training
Corps (NROTC) units around the country have selected to serve in the Navy as
surface warfare officers. Each selecting midshipman is ranked according to his
or her grade point average, aptitude scores, and physical fitness.
“Being a part of this unit has allowed me to meet accomplished
individuals whose achievements motivated me to work hard and to appreciate
their insight,” said De Peralta. “Professionally, it has given me many opportunities
to develop leadership and teamwork skills that will serve me well in the
future. I know that the experiences I had and the resiliency I developed cannot
be found in the civilian world.”
According to their
rankings, each midshipman provided their preference of ship or homeport to the
junior officer detailer at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee.
If these preferences were available, they were assigned as requested.
“The SWO ship selection process means a first step to the rest of my Navy career,” said
DePeralta. “It is an important decision that will shape my experience in the
Navy greatly.”
De Peralta, a 2013 Canton Central Catholic High School graduate,
has selected to serve aboard USS Lake Champlain. De Peralta is majoring in electrical and
computer engineering while attending Worchester Polytechnic Institute. Upon
graduation, De Peralta will receive a commission as a Navy Ensign and report
aboard Champlain as a surface warfare officer.
Champlain is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser home-ported in San Diego.
“I am most looking forward to working with the enlisted," said De Peralta. "I
believe that their insight is incredibly valuable and that I will have much to learn
from them. I am also excited to see new places and see what
my base has to offer.”
The midshipmen’s selection of their ship is not only a
milestone for them but also an important day for the ships in the fleet. Not
only do the midshipmen choose where they are going to start their Naval career,
but the ship they choose will also gain a motivated, eager, young officer to
help lead and improve an already great team.
While NROTC units are spread out
across the country and vary in size, they all teach midshipmen the values,
standards, abilities and responsibility that it takes to become a Navy officers
and lead this nations sons and daughters in protecting freedom on the seven
seas.
“I am a very analytical and thorough thinker,” said De
Peralta. “As a result, my leadership style is one that emphasizes critical
thinking and careful decisions. However, I know the importance of knowing your
sailors and caring about their wellbeing. I believe that one of a leader’s
primary jobs is to ensure that those under their care are able to perform their
jobs to the best of their ability.”