GULFPORT, Miss. - Since 1942, sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Construction Force have been building and fighting around the world. Lt. William Daniel, a native of Leslie, Georgia, is one of those sailors.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeffrey Yale |
Daniel is a chaplain currently serving with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 at the headquarters for naval construction forces in Gulfport, Mississippi, which serves as a home base for the Atlantic Fleet Seabees.
Daniel graduated from Americus High School in 1995. Additionally, Daniel earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Georgia Southwestern State University in 2002, and a master’s in counseling in 2007 and a Master of Divinity in 2014 from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Daniel served six years in the Marine Corps Reserves before joining the Navy 10 years ago.
“I joined the Navy to serve as a chaplain, walking with the individuals and families struggling with life,” said Daniel. “My job is to provide pastoral care through presence, teaching and counseling.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Leslie.
“My hometown includes Leslie and Americus, especially Leslie United Methodist Church, Leslie Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church and Cornerstone Church,” said Daniel. “These people loved me, even when I was a degenerate, giving me the love of God in Christ, and taught me how to live and also how to love a family of my own.”
With 90% 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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Daniel serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”
Daniel has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“As a chaplain, I am most grateful for the opportunities given to me to engage with, know and love people, particularly those who are struggling,” said Daniel. “My purpose in living is to be a blessing to the world in some way and one of the areas of deepest need, especially in our time, is human connection. We live in one of the most connected times electronically, but the number one complaint I hear is, ‘I’m lonely.’ People look good on the outside, but inside they’re hurting. People are struggling to live and many have mental health struggles. The heart of addressing this is restoring connections. In short, we have a spiritual crisis in our time.”
Daniel can take pride in serving America through military service.
“Serving in the Navy, and previously the Marine Corps, has given me an opportunity to bless my homeland and to touch people with the love of God from many different places within our homeland,” said Daniel.
Daniel is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“My family is my greatest accomplishment,” added Daniel.