SANTA RITA, Guam – A 2005 Emilio R. Delgado High School graduate and Corozal, Puerto Rico, native is serving in the U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Heidi Cheek |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Abraham Marrero is a hospital corpsman, responsible for basic medical screening and healthcare support for service members and their families.
Marrero credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Corozal.
“I learned a lot about trusting people and making sure you can count on those around you,” said Marrero.
Naval Hospital Guam is comprised of the main hospital in Agana Heights and two branch clinics, medical and dental, on Naval Base Guam. The hospital’s staff consists of 516 active duty and 201 civilians, contractors, reservists and volunteers who serve more than 26,000 beneficiaries.
According to officials at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet headquarters in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the ships, submarines, aircraft and Navy personnel forward-deployed to Guam are part of the world’s largest fleet command and serve in a region critical to U.S. national security. The U.S. Pacific Fleet encompasses 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean. All told, there are more than 200 ships and submarines, nearly 1,200 aircraft, and more than 130,000 uniformed and civilian personnel serving in the Pacific.
“I do the awards program, so being able to recognize sailors of all ranks for their good work is very rewarding,” Marrero said.
Serving in the Navy means Marrero is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that 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.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Marrero is most proud of being a mountain warfare instructor.
“It was the hardest course I have ever done in my Navy career," said Marrero. "A lot of people dropped out, so just being able to complete that was something.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Marrero 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.
“I enjoy serving," added Marrero. "It's not just about serving my country it's about serving my fellow sailors.”