SAN DIEGO – Ensign Jahna Alleyne, a native of York, Pennsylvania, was inspired by her parents to serve in the military.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
“Both my parents were enlisted in the Air Force,” said Alleyne. “When I was looking for colleges, the Naval Academy offered a unique opportunity and my parents always said, 'if you're going to join the military, be an officer.'”
Alleyne credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in York.
“I had a lot of early leadership opportunities, being in my school's band," said Alleyne. "I was able to make leadership mistakes early on which was extremely helpful. Also, I had a lot of really good mentors. There was my band director, Mr. Meckley, and Mrs. Carl, one of my teachers who was very important in my life. She was the reason I succeeded as much as I did.”
Alleyne credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in York.
“I had a lot of early leadership opportunities, being in my school's band," said Alleyne. "I was able to make leadership mistakes early on which was extremely helpful. Also, I had a lot of really good mentors. There was my band director, Mr. Meckley, and Mrs. Carl, one of my teachers who was very important in my life. She was the reason I succeeded as much as I did.”
Now, four years later, Alleyne, a 2015 graduate of West York Area High School, has the opportunity to learn leadership at the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC), part of Surface Warfare Officers School San Diego.
“This school has given me opportunities to drive ship simulators and it's a really good opportunity to learn about the ship and all the things I need to know before I get to my ship," said Alleyne. "I'll be better prepared than new ensigns have been in the past.”
“I'm going to be a division officer first,” Alleyne continued. “I'll be responisble for basic operation and making sure my people have what they need to succeed, both personally and professionally, and I get to drive a warship and that's pretty cool.”
BDOC is an intensive, nine week course of instruction designed to provide foundational classroom training to prospective surface warfare officers.
The course places emphasis on classroom instruction and Conning Officer Virtual Environment (COVE) simulators, which simulate every class of ship in the U.S. Navy and all their homeports, in addition to many routine ports of call around the world. COVE reinforces concepts in navigation, seamanship, and shiphandling. BDOC also provides instruction on maritime warfare, divisional officer fundamentals, engineering, leadership and damage control.
The mission of Surface Warfare Officers School is to ready sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants as officers, enlisted engineers and enlisted navigation professionals to fulfill the Navy's mission maintaining global maritime superiority.
Once service members finish training they are deployed around the world putting their skill set to work aboard Navy ships, such as aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, amphibious warfare ships, mine warfare ships and littoral combat ships.
There are many sacrifices and goals one must achieve to be selected as a surface warfare officer and Alleyne is most proud of being accepted to and ultimately graduating from the United States Naval Academy.
“It was an incredibly challenging four years,” said Alleyne.
Surface warfare has been a part of world history for more than 3,000 years, and the United States has its stamp on that history with actions ranging from the American Revolution to modern day operations at sea around the world.
America is a maritime nation, and the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“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.”
As Alleyne and other surface warriors continue to train, they take pride serving their country in the United States Navy.
“When I first thought about joining, it was a means to an end," said Alleyne. "A way to travel and go to college and have opportunities that I wouldn't have had in the civilian world. But now, I would say it means an opportunity to lead people. My father retired after more than 20 years of service, because he loved the service and he loved the people. Now I see why.”