PENSACOLA, Fla. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Darien Fields, a native of Pekin, Illinois, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Pensacola operating out of Naval Air Station Pensacola.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anna-Liesa Hussey, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to broaden my perspective and to do something in the medical field,” said Fields. “I looked into all the other branches' medical programs and decided to join the Navy because it had the best medical program.”
Growing up in Pekin, Fields attended Pekin Community High School and graduated in 2013. Today, Fields relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Pekin to succeed in the military.
“Growing up, I learned to be respectful to everybody,” said Fields. “My mom always taught me it doesn’t matter who it is, you should always be respectful, you never know what someone else is going through. That has helped me a lot with my career and just being a good person in general.”
These lessons continue to help Fields while serving with Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Pensacola.
Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Pensacola, also known as Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP), is older than 26 U.S. States and is in its second century of service. It is one of the country's oldest and most respected military medical facilities. NHP continues to provide health care to over 150,000 beneficiaries in its main facility and ten branch clinics across five states.
Today, the sixth Naval Hospital building was the first to be built outside of the NAS Pensacola installation. Initially commissioned as the Naval Regional Aerospace Medical Command in 1978, it continues its mission of providing healthcare to America's heroes and their families throughout the Gulf Coast region. In 2001, a 2-story, 73,000 square foot Outpatient Clinic was added to the Naval Hospital.
NHP's mission is to deliver high-quality healthcare to warfighters and beneficiaries, ensuring a medically ready force through strategic integration, innovation, and well-trained personnel.
Serving in the Navy means Fields is part of a team 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.
“I truly believe that the Navy is the most important branch in the military,” said Fields. “Throughout history the most powerful Navies in the world have created the safest environments for the counties they protect.”
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 underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
Fields and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“There are a lot of moments I’ve been proud of in my career,” said Fields. “The one that comes to mind first is graduating from Corpsman ‘A’ School. I’m also proud of having the confidence to see and diagnose a patient and working in the mental health field has been very rewarding. Overall though, I’m most proud of the fact that I’m a corpsman and have the ability to help people.”
As Fields and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy, to me, is serving the sailors in the Navy,” added Fields. “Being a corpsman has given me the ability to help people both mentally and physically so they are able to return to the Navy mission ready.”