SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 1st Class Bret Bristol, a native of Lawton, Michigan, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23.
Bristol graduated from Lawton High School in 2012.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawton.
“In school, I was in the Boy Scouts and earned my Eagle Scout,” Bristol said. “I learned through service projects how to think critically and solve unique problems. In the Navy, you work in a dynamic environment and have to adapt constantly to solve different problems.”
Bristol joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Bristol serves as a naval air crewman (helicopter).
“I wanted to do something unique after high school,” Bristol said. “I wanted to pursue something that no one else had done before. I wanted an exciting career that was different. My original intent was to join as a corpsman, but then I saw a photo of a rescue swimmer saving someone’s life. I saw it as the prime opportunity to not have an office job and do something unique and dynamic.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing sea combat platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include airborne mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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.
Bristol has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest moment was definitely in Guam,” Bristol said. “It was a dynamic situation rescuing a female who fell down a waterfall during a storm. We had to put her in a litter and hoist her up the side of a waterfall. We worked with other local hikers and collaborated as a team to save her life. It was rewarding to fulfill my mission set.”
Bristol serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means doing your job and doing it well,” Bristol said. “You have to utilize the knowledge you have on a daily basis and then train the younger generation to take your spot. The experiences you have and people you meet along the way make every day worth it.”
Bristol is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“There are too many people to thank,” Bristol added. “It takes a village. I have met a lot of great people in my life, from my leaders to those I led. I wouldn’t be here without them. I would like to thank my wife, Nina, for providing the backbone support for our family, raising our two beautiful boys and providing the perspective I need. I’m also grateful to my family for raising me with the core values I hold myself to still today. They have all made this dream possible.”
Bristol said serving in the Navy has allowed them the opportunity for experiences they otherwise would not have had.
“The military has given me so many opportunities,” Bristol said. “From flying in Hawaii during RIMPAC to hiking Mt. Fuji in Japan to diving in crystal clear waters in Guam to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. These opportunities wouldn’t have been feasible without the world’s greatest navy.”
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joseph Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Bristol graduated from Lawton High School in 2012.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawton.
“In school, I was in the Boy Scouts and earned my Eagle Scout,” Bristol said. “I learned through service projects how to think critically and solve unique problems. In the Navy, you work in a dynamic environment and have to adapt constantly to solve different problems.”
Bristol joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Bristol serves as a naval air crewman (helicopter).
“I wanted to do something unique after high school,” Bristol said. “I wanted to pursue something that no one else had done before. I wanted an exciting career that was different. My original intent was to join as a corpsman, but then I saw a photo of a rescue swimmer saving someone’s life. I saw it as the prime opportunity to not have an office job and do something unique and dynamic.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing sea combat platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include airborne mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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.
Bristol has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest moment was definitely in Guam,” Bristol said. “It was a dynamic situation rescuing a female who fell down a waterfall during a storm. We had to put her in a litter and hoist her up the side of a waterfall. We worked with other local hikers and collaborated as a team to save her life. It was rewarding to fulfill my mission set.”
Bristol serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means doing your job and doing it well,” Bristol said. “You have to utilize the knowledge you have on a daily basis and then train the younger generation to take your spot. The experiences you have and people you meet along the way make every day worth it.”
Bristol is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“There are too many people to thank,” Bristol added. “It takes a village. I have met a lot of great people in my life, from my leaders to those I led. I wouldn’t be here without them. I would like to thank my wife, Nina, for providing the backbone support for our family, raising our two beautiful boys and providing the perspective I need. I’m also grateful to my family for raising me with the core values I hold myself to still today. They have all made this dream possible.”
Bristol said serving in the Navy has allowed them the opportunity for experiences they otherwise would not have had.
“The military has given me so many opportunities,” Bristol said. “From flying in Hawaii during RIMPAC to hiking Mt. Fuji in Japan to diving in crystal clear waters in Guam to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. These opportunities wouldn’t have been feasible without the world’s greatest navy.”