CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Petty Officer 1st Class Roderick Hunter, a native of Alexandria, Louisiana, is playing a critical role in the U.S. Navy’s efforts to maintain a healthy and ready fighting force in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.
As a hospital corpsman and leading petty officer for Clinic Support Services working at Navy Medical Readiness and Training Command Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Hunter’s skills are vital to maintaining the health of the sailors in the Jacksonville area, and by extension, the readiness of the Navy’s operational ships and submarines on which they serve.
“The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic brought an invisible enemy to our shores and changed the way we operate as a Navy,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. "The fight against this virus is a tough one, but our sailors are tougher. We must harden our Navy by continuing to focus on the health and safety of our forces and our families. The health and safety of our sailors and their families is, and must continue to be, our number one priority.”
Hunter is a 2002 Tioga High School graduate, a 2016 Ashford University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and a 2019 University of Texas graduate with a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management. According to Hunter, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Alexandria.
“I learned that no matter the challenges we face in life, when you put God first, anything is possible,” Hunter said.
U.S. Navy Medicine is the most decorated career field in the Navy. Navy Hospital Corpsmen have earned 22 Medals of Honor, 179 Navy Crosses, 959 Silver Stars and more than 1,600 Bronze Stars. Twenty ships have been named in honor of corpsmen.
In its century of service, the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps has supported millions of sailors and Marines in wartime and peace around the world. As the years have progressed, technological innovations are transforming medical training for the next generation of hospital corpsmen, according to Navy officials.
“It is truly an honor to be a corpsman,” Hunter said. “I serve with the respect and honor of those before me. May their names forever ring in history for eternity.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Hunter, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition that dates back centuries. Their efforts, especially during this time of challenge brought on by the Coronavirus, will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who provide the Navy the nation needs.
“I am humbled by the men and women on the front lines of this challenge every single day,” Hunter added. “I am forever faithful to the call of "Corpsman Up." For me, it doesn't imply a sense of crying out, but rather the trust and fate of the people we serve. I'll always do my best to serve so that my actions will always be something in which my family at home will be proud of and inspired by.”
“The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic brought an invisible enemy to our shores and changed the way we operate as a Navy,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. "The fight against this virus is a tough one, but our sailors are tougher. We must harden our Navy by continuing to focus on the health and safety of our forces and our families. The health and safety of our sailors and their families is, and must continue to be, our number one priority.”
Hunter is a 2002 Tioga High School graduate, a 2016 Ashford University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and a 2019 University of Texas graduate with a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management. According to Hunter, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Alexandria.
“I learned that no matter the challenges we face in life, when you put God first, anything is possible,” Hunter said.
U.S. Navy Medicine is the most decorated career field in the Navy. Navy Hospital Corpsmen have earned 22 Medals of Honor, 179 Navy Crosses, 959 Silver Stars and more than 1,600 Bronze Stars. Twenty ships have been named in honor of corpsmen.
In its century of service, the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps has supported millions of sailors and Marines in wartime and peace around the world. As the years have progressed, technological innovations are transforming medical training for the next generation of hospital corpsmen, according to Navy officials.
“It is truly an honor to be a corpsman,” Hunter said. “I serve with the respect and honor of those before me. May their names forever ring in history for eternity.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Hunter, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition that dates back centuries. Their efforts, especially during this time of challenge brought on by the Coronavirus, will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who provide the Navy the nation needs.
“I am humbled by the men and women on the front lines of this challenge every single day,” Hunter added. “I am forever faithful to the call of "Corpsman Up." For me, it doesn't imply a sense of crying out, but rather the trust and fate of the people we serve. I'll always do my best to serve so that my actions will always be something in which my family at home will be proud of and inspired by.”