Millington, Tenn.– Petty Officer 1st Class Lydia Spates, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, is serving aboard USS Gravely, a U.S. Navy warship, currently deployed in the Atlantic Ocean participating in the Carrier Strike Group Four Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test its ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea.
Spates, a 2004 graduate of Health Careers Center, joined the Navy 14 years ago.
"I joined the Navy because my college degree did not automatically provide experience for me to receive medical benefits and a good job," said Spates. "I was also single with no children. I wanted to travel and feel like I was a part of something big."
Spates relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Cleveland to succeed in the military.
"I learned in my hometown to treat others the way you want to be treated no matter who they are or where they are from," said Spates.
These lessons have helped Spates while serving in the Navy.
Today, Spates serves as a personnel specialist aboard USS Gravley.
"I would describe my job as human resources," said Spates. "I deal with pay, advancement, travel, records update, new arrivals, separation and retirement."
Gravely is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that provides a wide range of warfighting capabilities. The destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
More than 300 sailors serve aboard Gravely. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
"My favorite part about serving here is my job and the ability to show I care about helping people from a social standpoint," said Spates.
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."
Spates and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
"I am most proud of having my own family with traditions that we created ourselves," said Spates. "I also am proud of all the places that I have seen since joining."
As Spates 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 means courage, camaraderie and representing myself positively," added Spates. " I also recognize my faults help shape me, not only as a mother, but as a shipmate as well."