SAN DIEGO - Hospitalman Caleb Mullins, a native of Prescott Valley, Arizona, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Base Point Loma.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Mullins graduated from Bradshaw Mountain High School in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Prescott Valley.
“Growing up, both of my parents were prior first responders,” Mullins said. “My dad was a Marine Corps military police officer, and my mom was a cop. They taught me about discipline and doing things you have to do even when you don’t want to. I also learned to be more forceful when I need to be. Having that background has helped me to work harder on my own discipline and helped me pursue different things that I otherwise wouldn’t have.”
Mullins joined the Navy more than one year ago. Today, Mullins serves as a hospital corpsman.
“I joined the Navy to be the doc for the Marines,” Mullins said. “That’s the only thing that kept me out of the Marines, that the Navy provides medical support for the Marine Corps. I wanted to test out the medical field to see if I wanted to do that for my career.”
Naval Base Point Loma provides support to 70 U.S. Pacific Fleet commands headquartered on the base, including five nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines. The base is also home to Cabrillo National Park and the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, which averages more than 1.2 million visitors annually.
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.
Mullins has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m proud of the work I did while serving at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School for a few months as a temporary command, working that schedule and dealing with those candidates coming in at 5 a.m.,” Mullins said. “It’s harder than most other jobs because it required us to really know what we learned in ‘A’ school. It took a lot of applying our skills in vast amounts and in a lot of different ways.”
Mullins 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 allows me to further my career through ways that other people don’t have,” Mullins said.
Mullins is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my family for helping me in different ways,” Mullins added. “I’m thankful for the Navy because it’s given me a second chance at going to college, something I plan to do.”