Virginia Beach, Va. – Seaman Recruit Zolu Barclay, a native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex.
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Megan Wollam |
Barclay joined the Navy in January of this year and currently serves as a culinary specialist.
“I joined the Navy to explore options beyond working a regular civilian job,” said Barclay.
Growing up in Gaithersburg, Barclay attended Colonel A. Zadok Magruder High School and graduated in 2020.
“I would like to thank the Gaithersburg recruiting office for being very honest with me about the Navy and telling me what to expect,” said Barclay. "They guided me along the right path. I'd also like to thank my high school coach, Raymond Fowl, for showing me how to be a great person overall. He taught us that it's not just about football because it's much more important to learn the values to be a great man."
Today, Barclay relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Gaithersburg to succeed in the military.
“Growing up in Maryland, I learned to be open-minded,” said Barclay. "Where I'm from is very diverse, so being around different types of people was not new to me."
These lessons have helped Barclay while serving in the Navy.
The Dam Neck site is located on Virginia's Atlantic shore near where the first Jamestown settlers landed and where the infamous Blackbeard and other pirates were said to have buried treasures. This area is also where battles of the Revolutionary War were fought, where Blue and Gray clashed during the Civil War, and where German submarines sank American shipping vessels within yards of the beach during World War II.
Today, the U.S. Navy uses the site for training and support services to meet fleet requirements.
Serving in the Navy means Barclay 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 Navy is important to national defense because we play a huge role in protecting other countries in addition to our own country,” said Barclay. "We can be just about anywhere at any time to prevent any harm from coming over here."
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 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.”
Barclay and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest accomplishment in my life so far is joining the Navy,” said Barclay. "I didn't know anything about military service and not a lot of people have the opportunity to join the military. So, it's a great honor to serve."
As Barclay 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 shows that I'm not selfish,” added Barclay. "I think more about others than myself. There are more important things in life than just what I want. This is a great opportunity to serve something bigger than me.”