NORFOLK, Va. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Lolina Lejarde, a native of Hayward, California, serves aboard USS George H.W. Bush, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sylvie Carafiol, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East |
Lejarde graduated from Holy Angel University (Philippines) in 2022.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Hayward.
“I learned to be resilient, which helps me get back on track,” Lejarde said. "In the Navy, that has helped me deal with my mental health and also strive to be better at what I do personally and professionally."
Lejarde joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Lejarde serves as a yeoman.
“I joined the Navy to get financial assistance for earning my college degree and to help my mother with her citizenship,” Lejarde said.
Commissioned in 2009, the aircraft carrier is named for George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States and a former naval aviator. The ship was the first aircraft carrier to have its namesake participate in its christening.
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.
The Navy’s aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world. Bush 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.
Lejarde has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is being meritoriously advanced to E-4,” Lejarde said. “I am also proud of being selected for Blue Jacket of the Year in the Reactor Department, Junior Sailor of the Quarter for the second quarter this year, and being the Avenger of the Day, where I got to drive the ship for a few minutes and get my picture taken with the captain.”
Lejarde 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 have to be true to myself and make an impact on the people around me,” Lejarde said.
Lejarde is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my mom, Michelle Lejarde, my brother, Lee Ramses Lejarde, and my mentor, Chief Yeoman Kayla Maier, for their support and mentorship,” Lejarde added. “Without my family's support, I would not be as successful as I am. I especially want to thank my boyfriend, Carl Rio, for his moral support during the hardships being in the Navy brings, and for being a shoulder to lean on.”
“I will reenlist next December and then I want to pursue a degree to be a dental hygienist,” Lejarde said.