MILLINGTON, Tenn. - The Mississippi state Senate recently passed MS Resolutions No. 41 and No. 75 recognizing U.S. Navy Cmdr. Desmond Walker, who earned the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award earlier this year.
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| Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle presents Cmdr. Desmond Walker (right) with the 45th Annual Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon in January. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Oswald Felix Jr.) |
Walker is originally from Hollandale, Mississippi, and graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in 1996.
The Stockdale Leadership Award is presented annually to recognize two commanding officers, one from the Pacific Fleet and one from the Atlantic Fleet, who demonstrate inspirational leadership, both professionally and personally, while also contributing to the improvement of leadership in the Navy.
“Winning a peer-nominated, Navy-wide leadership award is truly an amazing honor,” Walker said. “It is a reflection of the hundreds of sailors who served and sacrificed with me towards common goals of mission success, professional development, combat readiness, and teamwork. I am forever grateful to the men and women of USS Stout for accepting me as their captain. On the waterfront and within range of our adversaries, they showed courage, served with valor and exhibited integrity.”
At the end of his tour as commanding officer of USS Stout, Walker earned a Bronze Star Medal and Combat Action Ribbon for individual and unit offensive/defensive actions in a combat zone while in command of a guided missile destroyer. Additionally, Walker earned his fourth Meritorious Service Medal for the culmination of actions as a commanding officer that led the crew through an arduous training cycle, earning dozens of awards and recognition.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Hollandale.
Mississippi state Senators photo by Mississippi Senate Press Secretary Arnold Lindsey |
“Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, you are not a stranger to hard work to make ends meet,” Walker said. “That work ethic carried forward into my service, whether I was a work center supervisor (enlisted) or a department head (officer). Plus, I always give credit to my uncle, who served in the Navy in the 1940s. His words of encouragement just before boot camp in 1996 still ring in my ears to remind me of the higher calling I have, if I accept it. It drives me to keep grinding.”
Walker joined the Navy 30 years ago.
“I was conflicted on what I wanted to do after high school,” Walker said. “After learning about the opportunities and benefits in the U.S. Navy, I signed up for the delayed entry program and committed to military service.”
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.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/