SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 1st Class Nathaniel Yarber, a native of Modesto, California, 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 |
Yarber joined the Navy 13 years ago. Today, Yarber serves as a mineman.
“There is a long and proud history of service to the country in my family,” said Yarber. “I'm grateful that I'm able to carry forward the privilege of service."
Growing up in Modesto, Yarber attended Peter Johansen High School and graduated in 2007. Today, Yarber uses the same skills and values learned in Modesto to succeed in the military.
“Life, and especially active duty service, is full of unknowns, changes and adversity,” said Yarber. “The best way to succeed over these challenges is to control my own reactions and imagine how I would handle those circumstances when I look back in the future.”
These lessons have helped Yarber 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 Yarber 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 strong Navy is a guarantee of safety to our Nation when our national security is threatened,” said Yarber. “The Navy is full of extraordinary men and women who are willing to meet and overcome those threats.”
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.”
Yarber and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“When I received my designation as anti-terrorism tactical watch officer, I had weapons release authority and was responsible for the safety and defense of a Navy warship,” said Yarber.“I was the most junior person to hold that qualification so I was held to a higher standard and I earned the trust of those who relied on me the most.”
As Yarber 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 will always be a large part of my life,” added Yarber. “I've had the most rewarding and trying moments of my life while serving. To me, being in the Navy means I'm capable of succeeding anywhere I choose to be.”