SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Sullivan, a native of Highland Mills, New York, serves the U.S. Navy at Littoral Combat Ship Mine Division TWELVE operating out of San Diego, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne |
Sullivan joined the Navy nine years ago. Today, Sullivan serves as an electronics technician.
“My parents were both in the Navy and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” said Sullivan. “I like electronics and I thought working in the Navy was the best place to do that.”
Growing up in Highland Mills, Sullivan attended Monroe-Woodbury High School and graduated in 2011. Today, Sullivan uses the same skills and values learned in Highland Mills to succeed in the military.
“Growing up, I learned to treat everyone equally because everyone has their own unique skill set that is helpful to every situation,” said Sullivan.
These lessons have helped Sullivan while serving in the Navy.
California has thirty-two military bases within its borders, which is more than any other state. According to Navy officials, Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps’ bases are clustered most heavily around San Diego.
Serving in the Navy means Sullivan 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.
“The Navy sets a standard for others to follow,” said Sullivan. “We provide a presence and allow people to transit international waters safely.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Sullivan and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I’m most proud of the work I did fixing LINK 16 on multiple LCSs on the waterfront,” said Sullivan. “LINK 16 allows for multiple ships, aircraft and shore stations to see the same picture or map while out to sea. We were having problems with it on my ship and I was able to fix the problem on our ship and help other LCS ships fix their problems too.”
As Sullivan and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“The Navy helped me figure out how to treat people from all walks of life and work with people from different backgrounds to be able to work as a unified team,” added Sullivan.