MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Catalina Escalante, a native of Potomac, Maryland, will return to San Diego from a seven-month deployment serving aboard USS Stockdale, a U.S. Navy warship that recently conducted operations in the Middle East.
Escalante, a 2019 graduate of Winston Churchill High School, joined the Navy five years ago.
“I joined the Navy because it has always been a lifelong dream of mine to become a JAG officer in the U.S. Navy,” said Escalante.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Potomac.
“Growing up in Potomac, the lessons I have taken with me throughout my life have been endless,” Escalante said. “Making connections with everyone, getting to know their stories and learn about them has taught me to be a better leader, mentor and friend. Being able to relate to those above and under you helps you build a better team and ensures that everyone knows they have someone to talk to. Knowing your sailors makes you a better leader.”
While on its seven-month deployment, USS Stockdale conducted combat operations against the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden, maintaining free and open sea lanes and regional stability. Stockdale also built continuing relationships with the militaries of Egypt and the Republic of Maldives, important partners of the United States.
“This is my very first deployment, I had been on shore duty for five years because I had three kids back to back,” Escalante said. “Being sent on deployment after my youngest son turned 1 was a challenge. But this deployment I have accomplished what sailors in the fleet train years for. We were able to see and engage in combat defending the U.S. I met the ship two months into their deployment and the environment and the sailors aboard this ship couldn't have made this deployment better.
“We are the most combat capable ship in the U.S. Navy currently, that’s because of the sailors aboard USS Stockdale. I'm so honored to have been able to be a part of this deployment and to be able to tell the story to inspire and motivate younger sailors or even future sailors.”
Homeported in San Diego, Stockdale is a guided-missile destroyer and the third U.S. Navy ship named in honor of Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale, an aviator who was awarded the Medal of Honor based on his service in the Vietnam War, during which time he was a prisoner of war for over seven years.
A Navy destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
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.
Escalante can take pride in serving America through military service.
“Serving in the Navy has been my stepping stone into my future,” Escalante said. “I joined with one goal in mind, to be an officer, while I have been in I've discovered my passion for advocating for those who can't. I've developed a passion for standing up for what is right and wrong. The Navy can pull you into so many different paths that you never even thought you would go down. Being deployed is a challenge, being away from your kids and loved ones is hard. But I know that every day I'm out here they're a little bit safer back at home. They know how much I love them and how everything I do is for them.”