NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Seaman Alexius Reyna Torres, a native of Tucson, Arizona, 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.
Reyna Torres graduated from Alta Vista High School in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Tucson.
“I learned how to be humble and to show others respect no matter where they came from,” Reyna Torres said. "I also strive to be respectful and understanding of everyone in the Navy because if we can't have that between us, we’ll never succeed."
Reyna Torres joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Reyna Torres serves as a gunner's mate.
“I joined the Navy for the benefits and because I knew it would be a great stepping stone to a better career,” Reyna Torres 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.
Reyna Torres has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of just making it in the Navy and becoming a better version of me every day,” Reyna Torres said.
Reyna Torres 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 fills me with a sense of pride, knowing I am part of something bigger than myself that is making this world a better place,” Reyna Torres said.
Reyna Torres is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my wife, Mya Encias, for always supporting me,” Reyna Torres added. "I also want to thank my recruiter for telling me the truth. Not everyone in the Navy can say that."