U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian T. Glunt
PEARL HARBOR – A Ridgway, Colorado, native and 2015 Ridgway High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile cruiser, USS Port Royal.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Seale Mosle has served in the Navy for three-and-a-half years and is a U.S. Navy damage controlman aboard guided-missile cruiser operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A Navy damage controlman, Mosle is responsible for the overall training for the crew for all damage control operations. Mosley makes sure the crew knows how to respond to all chemical, biological, and radiological warfare.
Mosle credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Ridgway.
“I learned how to put my blood, sweat and tears into everything I do and to take it one day at a time,” said Mosle.
Approximately 300 men and women serve aboard the ship. According to Navy officials, their jobs are highly specialized and keep each part of the cruiser running smoothly. They do everything from maintaining gas turbine engines and operating the highly sophisticated Aegis weapons system to driving the ship and operating small boats.
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Mosle is most proud of earning the enlisted surface warfare specialist pin in 2016.
“I earned the pin as a seaman and made second class petty officer faster than all of my peers,” said Mosle.
A Navy cruiser is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea Navy officials explained. The ship is equipped with a vertical launching system, tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons systems.
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means Mosle is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades. The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Mosle and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means I’m proud to be an American and that I stand for what I believe in," added Mosle. "It means my friends and family can sleep at night. I joined because I wanted to do something bigger than myself and to protect our nation.”