NORFOLK, Va. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaquarius Lee, a native of Montgomery, Alabama, was selected to advance to the next pay grade through the Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) while serving aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), on April 3.
The MAP Program allows commanding officers to recognize their best sailors by advancing them when they demonstrate readiness for the next level of responsibility.
Lee, a 2021 graduate of Jefferson Davis High School, joined the Navy two years ago.
“Serving in the world’s greatest Navy means a lot to me,” said Lee. “It put me on the right track with my life and it’s inspiring knowing that my family and friends back home are very proud and look up to me.”
Today, Lee serves as a boatswain's mate responsible for deck maintenance, small boat operations, navigation and supervising all personnel assigned to a ship's workforce or small boat station.
Amphibious assault ships, such as Iwo Jima, project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the Amphibious Readiness Group / Expeditionary Strike Group.
The Amphibious Readiness Group provides the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter and landing craft.
Iwo Jima supports major humanitarian assistance and combat operations in order to provide relief and protection for other countries.
The ship is named after the battle of Iwo Jima fought in 1945, in which three divisions of U.S. Marines took control of a tiny island from more than 20,000 enemy defenders.
The ship’s motto is a quote from Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz: “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”