By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
LEMOORE, Calif. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Drayton Hale, a native of Milton, Florida, provides beneficiary care and expeditionary medical readiness while serving at Hornet Health Clinic Lemoore aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jerome Fjeld |
Hale joined the Navy eight years ago. Today, Hale serves as a hospital corpsman.
“I wanted to travel, see the world and have the opportunity to expand my horizons,” said Hale. “My grandfather, Jim Pitts, retired from the Navy as a Master Chief Petty Officer. My father, William Hale, served in the Army as a Bradley Gunner, and my uncle, Rear Adm. Jimmy Pitts, is currently serving with the Navy in the Pentagon. I wanted to carry on the family tradition of serving in the military.”
Growing up in Milton, Hale attended Milton High School and graduated in 2015. Additionally, Hale graduated in 2019 from East Coast Polytechnic Institute in Newport News, Virginia, with an Associate of Science in Health Science.
Skills and values similar to those found in Milton are important to succeed in the military.
“I was in Navy Junior ROTC in high school and that helped me establish a love for the Navy and patriotism for my county,” said Hale.
These lessons have helped Hale while serving in the Navy.
Naval Health Clinic Lemoore has a Fleet Centered Medical Home Port. The Fleet Centered Medical Home Port is an active duty-only clinic located at NAS Lemoore’s operations side in the Hornet Health Clinic. Care delivered at the Hornet Health Clinic is provided by a Primary Care Manager and is focused on the operational readiness of the aviation community.
Naval Health Clinic Lemoore provides quality health care to more than 18,000 people at NAS Lemoore, California and NAS Fallon, Nevada to ensure the Navy and Marine warfighters are medically ready to fight today, tomorrow, and beyond. The command also provides dental care and medical administrative support to Navy, Marine Corps and international students at the Naval Postgraduate School, Defense Language Institute and the Center for Information Dominance in Monterey, California.
With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
"Our mission remains timeless - to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat ready at all times, focused on warfighting excellence, and committed to superior leadership at every single level," said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. "This is our calling. And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy.”
As a member of the Navy, Hale is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is the country's "away team,”’ said Hale. “We have a worldwide presence and help protect America's power.”
Hale has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is helping out the community of Swain County in North Carolina,” said Hale. "We did a humanitarian mission from my last command, Naval Optical Fabrication Lab and we made glasses for people who couldn't afford healthcare."
As Hale 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 makes my family proud and allows me to be a better role model for those around me that are not serving,” said Hale.
Hale is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank retired lieutenant commander Jeff Dyer, my NJROTC instructor, for all the life lessons in high school,” added Hale. “I also want to thank 1st. Sgt. John Baker, who was my first instructor in NJROTC, for sparking my interest in joining the military.”