SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathon Lockhart, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, joined the Navy for the benefits but also kickstarting a career with experience.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
Now, two years later, Lockhart serves aboard one of the Navy’s amphibious ships at Naval Base San Diego.
“The most unique thing about this ship is definitely the people," Lockhart said. "It's like more a community within your department. Your department is like a family away from home. We have so many people from around the country and when you mix that together it can be something beautiful.”
Lockhart, a 2016 graduate of The Woodlands High School, is a yeoman aboard USS Essex, one of four Wasp-class amphibious assault ships in the Navy, homeported in San Diego.
“Right now I’m the engineering yeoman so I work with all the engineering chiefs and above,” Lockhart said. “I work with them to route paperwork for more than 200 people in the engineering department.”
Lockhart credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in The Woodlands.
“My mom barely knew any English,” Lockhart said. “She was a stay-at-home mom and from China. Now she owns a smoothie business in The Woodlands Mall called ‘Karma's Smoothies and Espressos’ and owns real estate. Growing up and watching that transformation taught me that working hard will definitely get you 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.
“The most unique thing about this ship is definitely the people," Lockhart said. "It's like more a community within your department. Your department is like a family away from home. We have so many people from around the country and when you mix that together it can be something beautiful.”
Lockhart, a 2016 graduate of The Woodlands High School, is a yeoman aboard USS Essex, one of four Wasp-class amphibious assault ships in the Navy, homeported in San Diego.
“Right now I’m the engineering yeoman so I work with all the engineering chiefs and above,” Lockhart said. “I work with them to route paperwork for more than 200 people in the engineering department.”
Lockhart credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in The Woodlands.
“My mom barely knew any English,” Lockhart said. “She was a stay-at-home mom and from China. Now she owns a smoothie business in The Woodlands Mall called ‘Karma's Smoothies and Espressos’ and owns real estate. Growing up and watching that transformation taught me that working hard will definitely get you 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.
“You know that the Marines have different training and they have a lot of military bearing,” said Lockhart.
Serving in the Navy means Lockhart 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, Lockhart is most proud of earning the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS).
“It makes any sailor proud to get their pin,” Lockhart said. “You work hard for it, study for it, and go before two boards. It shows that you're well rounded and that you've learned a lot of knowledge about all the different departments on a ship.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Lockhart and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It makes me proud to represent my family and where I came from,” Lockhart said. “Serving in the Navy shows I have a strong work ethic, I can work with people from different backgrounds and I can adapt very well to my surroundings. It makes me really proud.”