MAYPORT, Fla. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Victoria, a native of Long Island City, New York, serves aboard one of the country’s most versatile combat ships, USS St. Louis, operating out of Mayport, Florida.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Green, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Victoria, a 2011 graduate of Long Island City High School, joined the Navy over five years ago.
“I joined the Navy to gain a sense of purpose and structure to my life,” said Victoria. “Before the Navy, I worked in food service and retail shops from Starbucks to American Eagle. Working at those places was fine but I felt like I needed more in life.”
Today, Victoria relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Long Island City to succeed in the military.
“Growing up in Long Island City, I learned at a very young age how to be mentally tough,” said Victoria. “That mental toughness is what allows me to succeed in the Navy. I also had to work at a young age which allowed me to build a strong work ethic.”
These lessons have helped Victoria while serving in the Navy.
St. Louis is a fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatant that operates in near-shore and open-ocean environments, according to Navy officials. Littoral combat ships integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
Littoral combat ships are hybrid surface combatants that lead manned-unmanned teams using unmanned aerial systems like the Fire Scout and Expeditionary Ordnance Disposal forces unmanned underwater vehicles. They conduct forward and maritime security missions like the Secretary of Defense Oceania Maritime Security Initiative. The ships also strengthen partnerships through port visits in small island nations like Tahiti and Fiji due to their shallow-depth hull.
According to Navy officials, the path to becoming an LCS sailor is unique and challenging. The culmination of their 18-month training pipeline, sailors qualify on a virtual reality simulator that is nearly identical to the ship. This intense and realistic training pipeline allows sailors to execute their roles and responsibilities immediately upon stepping on board.
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."
Serving in the Navy means Victoria is part of a team 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 contributes to national defense by protecting our own country and its allies at sea,” said Victoria. “We work hand-in-hand with our allies to protect freedom.”
Victoria and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest accomplishment in the Navy is being part of the plank owner crew that delivered the brand new warship, USS St. Louis, from Marinette, Wisconsin, to its homeport of Jacksonville, Florida,” said Victoria. “Not everyone gets the opportunity to be able to say that they helped deliver a new ship to the fleet.”
As Victoria 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 has given me an opportunity that I didn’t have before,” said Victoria. “It gave me the chance to learn about seamanship, damage control, naval history, anti-terrorism and force protection and countless other things.”
Victoria is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents back in my hometown for never giving up on me even if I wasn’t always at my best,” said Victoria. “They saw past that and kept rooting for me. They made it out all the way to my boot camp graduation, even if I was only able to see them for a few hours. My family means the world to me and I love them all very much. I’ll continue to make them proud.”
“Having been in the Navy for only a little over five years, I was fortunate enough to gain rank pretty quickly,” added Victoria. “I started as an E-1 in 2017 and made it all the way up to E-5 in less than four years. I was also able to be one of the first sailors on my newly commissioned ship to earn the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pin. This pin recognizes sailors who have attained professional expertise and proficiency on that platform ship.”