MILLINGTON, Tenn. – A Saint Petersburg Beach, Florida, native 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.
Lt. Cmdr. Kathryn Thomas, a 2008 graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy, joined the Navy 12 years ago.
“I was introduced to the idea of the military through my grandfather, Lt. Col. Donald Thomas, Jr, who was a Tuskegee Airman," Thomas said. "With a desire to learn more about the military and to contribute back to the people of this country in a meaningful way, I asked my parents to send me to a military boarding school in Florida, Admiral Farragut Academy, from fifth grade until graduation. I knew at a very young age that I was inclined to see everything that the world had to offer, serve my country and lead those who wished to follow and serve next to me. After graduation, I received a Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology where I would later commission into the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and start on my adventure of serving a greater purpose and seeing the world."
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Saint Petersburg Beach.
“From hurricanes to mid-August sunshine in Orlando, I am no stranger to what some might call challenging weather or changing plans, which ultimately laid the brickwork in teaching me not only to adapt and overcome but also to be resilient,” Thomas said.
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 deployment was a culmination and a validation of the training that the crew put in not just during the workup cycle prior to deployment, but every step of the way from the time they raised their right hand for the first time until we stepped back on homeport shores," Thomas said. "I couldn't be more proud to be part of the toughest and most lethal ship in the fleet during an unprecedented deployment."
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.
Thomas can take pride in serving America through military service.
“Without serving in the Navy, I never would have truly met myself," Thomas added. "I have learned how to keep going past what I thought my limits were, I have traveled the entire world and touched every ocean and I have watched more sunrises and sunsets with land nowhere to be found than I ever would have dreamed. All the while giving me the ability to ensure that I have generational wealth for decades to come and a proven track record for leadership and tenacity that will serve me for years to come. I wouldn't trade my experience for all the money in the world."
Thomas' parents, Dr. Donald and Peggy Thomas, III, both reside in Saint Petersburg Beach.