SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Briana Sepulveda Sotelo, a native of Raeford, North Carolina, serves aboard USS Essex, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship operating out of San Diego, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Sepulveda Sotelo graduated from Hoke County High School in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Raeford.
“All the lessons I have brought with me to my Navy career came from my mother,” Sepulveda Sotelo said. “My mother taught me a lot along the way and has always been my biggest supporter in whatever choice I would make about my future career. She’s always encouraged me to do great things. She was a little timid when I decided to join the Navy, but eventually supported me and guided me through the process. She always tells me to be patient and to take one day at a time and I carry that with me even now when it comes to Navy life.”
Sepulveda Sotelo joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Sepulveda Sotelo serves as an information systems technician.
“I was interested in advancing in the IT/computer fields but couldn’t pay enough for college,” Sepulveda Sotelo said. “My stepdad is retired from the Army and told me all about the programs the Navy offers for college. During my senior year in high school, some Navy recruiters came and told me that I could be in IT for the Navy and also work up to my degree in the engineering field. That piqued my interest, so I decided to join for the benefits and opportunities the Navy offers. The Navy really helps you become stronger, emotionally and mentally.”
Amphibious assault ships, such as Essex, project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the Amphibious Readiness Group / Expeditionary Strike Group.
Resembling a small aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ships offer the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement, provide humanitarian assistance and support major combat operations. More than 1,000 serve aboard Essex with an additional 1,200 Marines capable of being embarked.
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.
Sepulveda Sotelo has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of how I have progressed in the Navy,” Sepulveda Sotelo said. “Being one year in, I better understand a lot of situations in my career. Fresh out of high school, I didn’t even believe that I would be serving in the Navy. I doubted myself in the beginning and questioned if I could even accomplish this goal and the trials I had to go through. Looking back now, I know that all the trials I went through helped me get back up and keep on achieving what I truly want in life, and that to me is a huge accomplishment that I’m most proud of.”
Sepulveda Sotelo 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 a lot to me,” Sepulveda Sotelo said. “What serving means to me is what I have always lived by, which is being able to help the people in my community and to be an inspiration to my family and friends. Since I joined, a few of my family members have taken an interest in the Navy, which is what I want to accomplish.”
Sepulveda Sotelo is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would love to thank my family for being my huge support system to achieve this goal, and specifically to my mom, Rosa Tellez,” Sepulveda Sotelo added. “She has fought so hard to give me a home and food on the table and for her sacrifices I was able to achieve a lot in my path. She has made me become a strong sailor who can achieve anything that life has to throw at me. She’s my biggest supporter and my best friend.”