SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Justice Coutcher, a native of Perrysburg, Ohio, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Coutcher graduated from Perrysburg High School in 2018.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Perrysburg.
“Growing up, my parents taught me to have a strong work ethic,” Coutcher said. “I also played a lot of sports growing up and that showed me how to work with people from different backgrounds and how to adapt. Those lessons are important to apply here because not everyone is the same and you have to be able to adapt to overcome different situations. I also learned the importance of being humble. There are a lot of situations in the Navy where your pride can get to you, but having a humble mind will get you further.”
Coutcher joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Coutcher serves as an aviation structural mechanic.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to serve my country, do something selfless and be a part of something bigger than myself,” Coutcher said.
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, 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.
Coutcher has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of being able to come back from a bad mental state and to keep moving forward,” Coutcher said. “I am also proud of completing missions with NASA, SEAL teams and special forces because those were big accomplishments. It’s not something you can truly understand until you do it.”
Coutcher serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride to serve our country,” Coutcher said.
Coutcher is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my wife, Jenny, for always encouraging me to move forward and for reminding me of where I came from,” Coutcher added. “I also want to thank my parents, James and Megan, for always pushing me to keep going and for being shoulders to lean on when I need it most. They are also there to celebrate my accomplishments and are always so proud of me. I want to thank my grandparents as well for giving me advice that I don’t necessarily want to hear but the advice I need to hear. My grandparents on my mom's side were in the military as well so they helped me kickstart my career and gave me a better understanding of how the Navy works. Lastly, I want to thank my junior-year teacher, Mrs. Farrar, for teaching me that not everything is about grades. She showed me that even though I may be bad at school, I can still be successful in other areas of life.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Perrysburg.
“Growing up, my parents taught me to have a strong work ethic,” Coutcher said. “I also played a lot of sports growing up and that showed me how to work with people from different backgrounds and how to adapt. Those lessons are important to apply here because not everyone is the same and you have to be able to adapt to overcome different situations. I also learned the importance of being humble. There are a lot of situations in the Navy where your pride can get to you, but having a humble mind will get you further.”
Coutcher joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Coutcher serves as an aviation structural mechanic.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to serve my country, do something selfless and be a part of something bigger than myself,” Coutcher said.
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, 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.
Coutcher has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of being able to come back from a bad mental state and to keep moving forward,” Coutcher said. “I am also proud of completing missions with NASA, SEAL teams and special forces because those were big accomplishments. It’s not something you can truly understand until you do it.”
Coutcher serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride to serve our country,” Coutcher said.
Coutcher is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my wife, Jenny, for always encouraging me to move forward and for reminding me of where I came from,” Coutcher added. “I also want to thank my parents, James and Megan, for always pushing me to keep going and for being shoulders to lean on when I need it most. They are also there to celebrate my accomplishments and are always so proud of me. I want to thank my grandparents as well for giving me advice that I don’t necessarily want to hear but the advice I need to hear. My grandparents on my mom's side were in the military as well so they helped me kickstart my career and gave me a better understanding of how the Navy works. Lastly, I want to thank my junior-year teacher, Mrs. Farrar, for teaching me that not everything is about grades. She showed me that even though I may be bad at school, I can still be successful in other areas of life.”