BOSTON - Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Orozco, a native of Orofino, Idaho, is one of more than 60 sailors celebrating America’s 249 years of independence while serving aboard USS Constitution, the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Green, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Orozco graduated from Orofino High School in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Orofino.
“Growing up, I learned the importance of a strong work ethic and enjoying the small things,” Orozco said. “Orofino is a small town with a population of about 3,000. It’s a lot of fun, and I met a lot of great people there. My friend group was pretty well-known. A few years ago, one of my friends signed up for the talent show but was afraid to go on by himself, so we all went up with him and sang, 'I Want It That Way.’ After that, people in town recognized us and started calling us the Backstreet Boys. That experience of going to help a friend, and being able to get up in front of the town, is helpful here at Constitution because we’re in front of the public all the time.”
Orozco joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Orozco serves as a damage controlman.
“I joined the Navy for stability,” Orozco said. “I shipped out at 17 and turned 18 in boot camp. I thought it would be a good foundation to start a family and a good start to what the world would be like. My uncle served in the Army and he turned out fine, so I thought I would do it, too. I have another uncle in the Navy who is currently a master chief.”
Launched from a Boston shipyard in October 1797, Constitution is the only surviving vessel of the Navy’s original six frigates and is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat. The ship earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 after British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull. Constitution was undefeated in battle and captured or destroyed 33 enemy vessels in its nearly 60 years of active service.
Now, 227 years after its launch, Constitution’s primary mission is education and outreach, welcoming more than 500,000 visitors aboard each year. Its crew of more than 60 sailors is hand-picked to preserve and protect Constitution, while promoting naval history, maritime heritage and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence. The ship’s original missions of defending American interests and protecting sea lanes to ensure commerce remain at the forefront of the Navy’s mission today.
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.
Orozco has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of being meritoriously advanced to petty officer third class,” Orozco said. “I was told that it was impossible to do that here, but I worked hard to earn this. I was also named Blue Jacket of the Year for 2024.”
Orozco serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“I’m still not sure what serving in the Navy means to me,” Orozco said. “Looking at it from a day-to-day perspective, I have the outlook that it’s just a job, but talking to several people made me realize that the uniform I’m wearing carries a certain amount of respect. I’m dedicating my life to something a little more than just me and my wife. It’s for everybody, to make sure that they can have the freedoms that they deserve.”
Orozco is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my dad, Drew, also known as ‘Big Cat,’” Orozco said. “He gave me the tough love I needed. We’re very similar; we don’t take life as seriously as others. I used to joke around in school a lot. He helped me learn to be independent, to stop and think and to recognize the environment I’m in because there’s a time to be serious and a time to joke around. He really stepped up when my mom passed away a few years ago."
“I also want to thank my wife, Haiden. She saved me. We met in pottery class in school. I wasn’t moving forward in life, and when I met her, I was at my lowest point. I would just go to school, go home and do homework, but when I saw her, I fell in love. I told myself if I was going to be with this woman, I had to change my life because I wanted to give her the life she deserved. Without her, I don’t know where I would have ended up.”