MAYPORT, Fla. - Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Taylor, a sailor from Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa, serves aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Marinette, in Mayport, Florida.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Green |
PCU is a designation used by the U.S. Navy to describe crews aboard vessels under construction prior to official commissioning.
Taylor, a 2003 graduate of Prince of Wales School, joined the Navy over 16 years ago. Taylor also graduated in 2006 from Kings College with an associate’s degree in medical assistance.
“I joined the Navy as a spur-of-the-moment decision while in college,” said Taylor. “I also joined for the college benefits.”
Today, Taylor relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Sierra Leone to succeed in the military.
“I learned perseverance from the simple fact that growing up in my country, I experienced several civil conflicts resulting in deaths and destruction,” said Taylor.
These lessons have helped Taylor while serving in the Navy.
Marinette will be 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 Taylor 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 is important to national defense by serving as a deterrent and having maritime presence in international waters and cooperation with allied nations,” said Taylor.
Taylor and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest accomplishments were being a part of an MIA and POW recovery mission to Dien Bien PHU in Northwest Vietnam from October to December 2015,” said Taylor. “Another significant point in my career was being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Valor and receiving my Purple Heart while serving on the outskirts of Fallujah with the 6th Marine Regiment Battalion Weapons Company.”
“I was on a mounted security patrol that received enemy fire on the outskirts of the city. My vehicle was the second vehicle in the convoy that got hit by an IED which took the vehicle up in the air. Four Marines in the vehicle were injured,” added Taylor. “The driver lost his legs, there was shrapnel in his chest and he had a fractured hip. Other Marines were also injured and lost limbs. I performed first aid and helped medivac them on a Blackhawk helicopter to a hospital in Northern Iraq.”
As Taylor and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“First and foremost, serving in the Navy means having job security, pride and a sense of fulfillment,” said Taylor.
Taylor is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents, siblings and all my extended family for their love and support throughout the years,” added Taylor.