SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 3rd Class Deona Munnerlyn, a native of Lake City, Florida, joined the Navy for professional opportunties.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
Now, two years later, Munnerlyn serves aboard one of the Navy’s amphibious ships at Naval Base San Diego.
“It's adventurous," Munnerlyn said. "No day is the same. The work may be the same, but you never see the same thing.”
Munnerlyn, a 2017 graduate of Columbia High School, is an aviation boatswain's mate aboard USS Essex, one of four Wasp-class amphibious assault ships in the Navy, homeported in San Diego.
“I'm the training petty officer,” Munnerlyn said. “I'm a working supervisor, but mostly I provide overall supervision of the hangar bay engine room.”
Munnerlyn credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Lake City.
“I learned to honestly trust in God and do the best that you can, with him you can do anything,” Munnerlyn said. “Keep him first and you can get places.”
Essex is designed to deliver U.S. Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts. Designed to be versatile, the ship has the option of simultaneously using helicopters, Harrier jets, and Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC), as well as conventional landing craft and assault vehicles in various combinations.
Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.
Sailors' jobs are highly varied aboard Essex. More than 1,000 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weaponry to maintaining the engines. An additional 1,200 Marines can be embarked.
“They have a strong work ethic,” Munnerlyn said. “They really work hard to get the stuff done.”
Serving in the Navy means Munnerlyn 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, Munnerlyn is most proud of learning tactics for the ship’s reaction force (SRF-A), which is trained to react to any active shooter scenarios.
“There are not many people on the ship who do that and I feel like I’m one of the selected few,” Munnerlyn said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Munnerlyn and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy brings me a lot of pride because I'm the first one in my family to join the military,” said Munnerlyn.
“It's adventurous," Munnerlyn said. "No day is the same. The work may be the same, but you never see the same thing.”
Munnerlyn, a 2017 graduate of Columbia High School, is an aviation boatswain's mate aboard USS Essex, one of four Wasp-class amphibious assault ships in the Navy, homeported in San Diego.
“I'm the training petty officer,” Munnerlyn said. “I'm a working supervisor, but mostly I provide overall supervision of the hangar bay engine room.”
Munnerlyn credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Lake City.
“I learned to honestly trust in God and do the best that you can, with him you can do anything,” Munnerlyn said. “Keep him first and you can get places.”
Essex is designed to deliver U.S. Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts. Designed to be versatile, the ship has the option of simultaneously using helicopters, Harrier jets, and Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC), as well as conventional landing craft and assault vehicles in various combinations.
Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.
Sailors' jobs are highly varied aboard Essex. More than 1,000 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weaponry to maintaining the engines. An additional 1,200 Marines can be embarked.
“They have a strong work ethic,” Munnerlyn said. “They really work hard to get the stuff done.”
Serving in the Navy means Munnerlyn 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, Munnerlyn is most proud of learning tactics for the ship’s reaction force (SRF-A), which is trained to react to any active shooter scenarios.
“There are not many people on the ship who do that and I feel like I’m one of the selected few,” Munnerlyn said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Munnerlyn and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy brings me a lot of pride because I'm the first one in my family to join the military,” said Munnerlyn.