NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Justyce Clark, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, serves aboard USS John C. Stennis, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Newport News, Virginia. Aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world.
Clark graduated from Oakridge High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Grand Rapids.
“I learned early on not to be afraid to take a chance,” Clark said. "A lot of people I went to school with never left Grand Rapids, and they tell me now they wish they had because they feel stuck. The same is true in the Navy. You can't be afraid to take a chance, or you will never get out of your comfort zone."
Clark joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Clark serves as a master-at-arms.
“My grandpa served in Vietnam, and I have a family pool of Army veterans, so I decided to do something different and join the Navy and serve my country,” Clark said.
Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide. USS John C. Stennis is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. More than 5,000 sailors serve aboard these self-contained mobile airports.
According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and combat capability of its air wing.
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.
Clark has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of the fact that I made [the rank of] E-5, and I will test for [the rank of] E-6 before my five-year mark,” Clark said.
Clark 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 I am setting an example for my five younger siblings and showing them it can be done,” Clark said. "One of my sisters and one of my brothers want to join, and I'm showing them it can be done."
Clark is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my youngest brother, Leyam, for every day reminding me that chasing my dreams was worth it,” Clark said. "I also want to thank my mom for always supporting me and for doing so much to raise seven children."
“I will complete my bachelor's degree this summer, and I want to eventually retire from the Navy,” Clark added. "In the meantime, I want to achieve the rank of chief petty officer and then decide if I want to put in a package to be commissioned as an officer."