MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Jerron Johnson, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, is serving aboard USS Laboon, 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.
Johnson, a 2015 Thomas Jefferson High School graduate, joined the Navy six years ago.
“I joined the Navy to travel, for the benefits and to enjoy a steady career with good job security,” said Johnson.
Johnson relies upon skills and values similar to those found in New Orleans to succeed in the military.
“New Orleans is a diverse City, so growing up there learning to communicate with people from different cultures made doing the same in the Navy an easy adjustment for me,” said Johnson. “Later, my Navy career brought me to France, which was an enlightening experience coming from a French city in the USA.”
These lessons have helped Johnson while serving in the Navy.
Today, Johnson serves as a boatswain’s mate aboard USS Laboon.
“I handle everything topside on the Ship,” said Johnson. “I'm involved in getting underway, preserving the ship, leading high-risk evolutions, search and rescue, and flight operations. Specifically, I am a Landing Signalman Enlisted during flight operations, which means I communicate with the pilot to land helicopters.”
Laboon 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 Laboon. 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.
“One thing I enjoy here is the opportunity to lead a lot of junior sailors and provide them with mentorship,” said Johnson.
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."
Johnson and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“There are several things I’m most proud of recently, I was awarded the Naval Achievement Medal for my performance and leadership during our rigorous inspection of our readiness,” said Johnson. “Additionally, being a part of our flight deck team as a Landing Signalman Enlisted and most important becoming a petty officer and getting to serve a full tour mentoring and helping to develop my junior sailors.”
As Johnson and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Being in the Navy is my chance to serve my country,” added Johnson. “Not many people get a chance to look back at their lives and see that they were a part of something bigger than themselves. I'll always have stories to tell my grandkids about my time in the Navy. Being a more senior sailor gives me a good chance to show new sailors how to exceed as an individual and a team.”