SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony McFall, whose mother lives in Mentor, Ohio, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Base San Diego.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
McFall earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from East Coast Polytechnic Institute in 2022 and a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University in 2024. Additionally, McFall is studying toward a master’s in public affairs and leadership through Ohio State University.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Mentor.
“Growing up, I learned the importance of communication and resiliency,” McFall said. “I moved around a lot as a kid, and when you do that, you have to be resilient. I was born in Ohio and moved to Pennsylvania, then Virginia, Florida, Texas, back to Ohio, back to Florida and then to North Dakota. I used to like to party. I had the self-discipline to know that if I didn’t call my dad, I wasn’t going to graduate. I knew he would make me go to school and do my homework. Moving around opened me up more to new things, new friends, new groups and new cultures. That’s all the Navy is: new friends, new groups and new cultures every three to five years, and so it becomes familiar to you.”
McFall joined the Navy 16 years ago. Today, McFall serves as a Navy counselor.
“I joined the Navy because my car broke down,” McFall said. “I had been thinking about college, but with a broken down car, I wasn’t going to be able to get to school or work. I talked to my dad, and I talked to the Navy recruiters. I joined as an aviation boatswain’s mate (equipment) and converted in 2020 to Navy counselor.”
Naval Base San Diego is the U.S. Navy’s largest base on the West Coast and is homeport to the Pacific Fleet Surface Navy with 56 U.S. Navy ships and two auxiliary vessels including USNS Mercy. The base is also home to more than 200 tenant commands, each having specific and specialized fleet support purposes.
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.
McFall has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m proud of being named Commander, Navy Installations Command’s Career Counselor of the Year for Fiscal Year 2024,” McFall said. “Being named Career Counselor of the Year is one of the steps on the ladder of promotion that can impact whether I am promoted or not. It’s awesome that leadership recognizes the work that we put in. Even though I won it, I have a team that I work with, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. I’m also proud of earning my master’s degree. I didn’t really care about going to school, and tests bothered me. Getting my master’s shows my daughter she can do it, too. It will also boost my resume for later down the road, and it shows junior sailors it can be done. I earned my bachelor’s degree while deployed at sea."
“Another thing I’m proud of is getting my Blue Nose while serving aboard USS Harry S. Truman because it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time," McFall said. "I first heard about it at school. I was in class with a retired submariner who had a Blue Nose certificate hanging on his wall. I said I’m gonna get that someday.”
McFall serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“For me, serving in the Navy is my family history,” McFall said. “I have an aunt who’s retired from the military. She enlisted as an air traffic controller, made it to chief, and then commissioned. She retired as a lieutenant commander with 24 years of service. My great-grandfather retired as a Seabee senior chief after 26 years, my dad served six years as a fire controlman and my little brother joined the Navy after I joined and served six years as an electrician’s mate. It’s my family’s heritage now. I’m making sure I stay because of my family.”
McFall is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my wife, Elizabeth, for pushing me,” McFall said. “I wouldn’t have gone to school without her pushing me to do it. I wouldn’t have finished without her encouragement and support. I also want to thank my daughter, Lucy, for ensuring that I have a drive or reason to keep doing what I’m doing. The leadership I’ve had in my career has been nothing short of excellent. I also want to thank my mother and father, Selina and Keith, for their support. They’re a big reason why I kept going. When I think I’m done with the Navy, they always tell me I have a little bit more in the tank."
“I’d also like to thank my aunt, Sonya Miller, for everything she’s done for me in my life," added McFall. "She tells me that if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t be where she is today, and I tell her that if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She was my rock, and I was her rock.”