SAN DIEGO - A native of Wausau, Wisconsin, serves the U.S. Navy aboard USS Boxer, which is homeported in San Diego.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sang Kim, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Fireman Apprentice Caden Graff, a 2021 D C Everest Senior High School graduate, joined the Navy one year ago.
“I joined the Navy because I knew that the military teaches you a lot of valuable job skills,” said Graff. “I also joined because I wanted to be the first in my family to serve in the Navy. I have a long family history in the military, but none of them served in the Navy.”
Today, Graff serves as an electrician's mate.
An electrician's mate is responsible for repairing and maintaining electrical equipment aboard the ship.
Graff relies upon skills and values from lessons learned in Wausau to succeed in the military.
“My hometown taught me not to judge people and to appreciate everyone's differences,” said Graff. “Someone who might look intimidating might be the easiest person in the world to work with, for example.”
Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, commissioned Feb. 11, 1995, and is the sixth U.S. ship to bear the name. The ship recently completed a scheduled maintenance availability and is preparing for upcoming operations.
Boxer’s crew is made up of approximately 1,200 officers and enlisted personnel and can accommodate up to 1,800 Marines. Amphibious assault ships transfer Marines, equipment and supplies and can support helicopters or other aircraft, according to Navy officials. They also are capable of accessing 75 percent of the world’s beaches.
Serving in the Navy means Graff is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on strengthening alliances, modernizing capabilities, increasing capacities and maintaining military readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The U.S. military has boots on the ground and airpower, but the sea is vast and deep,” said Graff. “The Navy is the only thing out here protecting the waters.”
More than 90 percent of all trade travels by sea, and fiber optic cables on the ocean floor carry 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic.
Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to ready sailors and a strong Navy.
“Maintaining the world’s best Navy is an investment in the security and prosperity of the United States, as well as the stability of our world,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “The U.S. Navy – forward deployed and integrated with all elements of national power – deters conflict, strengthens our alliances and partnerships and guarantees free and open access to the world’s oceans. As the United States responds to the security environment through integrated deterrence, our Navy must continue to deploy forward and campaign with a ready, capable, combat-credible fleet.”
“The Surface Force will continue to meet the challenge of strategic competition and respond to the realities of the modern security environment,” said Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener. “Our efforts are critical to preserve freedom of the seas, deter aggression and win wars.”
Sailors like Graff have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I'm proud of how much I've matured and grown as a person compared to where I was before the Navy,” said Graff.
As Graff and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“As long as I can remember, seeing someone in uniform was like seeing a superhero,” said Graff. “It makes me really proud knowing I've served. I can be a superhero for someone else.”