SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Gissela Chamorro-Vinueza, from Quito, Ecuador, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of San Diego, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caleb Kissner, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Chamorro-Vinueza attended Colegio Milenio Mejia D7 in Ecuador before moving to the United States.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Quito, where members of Chamorro-Vinueza’s family still reside.
“Growing up in Ecuador taught me to be grateful every day,” Chamorro-Vinueza said. “Now, in this environment, people complain about everything, but this is a five-star hotel compared to where I grew up. Being grateful helps me to remember where I came from.”
Chamorro-Vinueza joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Chamorro-Vinueza serves as a legalman.
“I joined the Navy to be a better version of myself,” Chamorro-Vinueza said. “I like to travel a lot, and I knew I was going to go places in the Navy.”
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.
Among the largest warships in the world, Theodore Roosevelt 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.
“This aircraft carrier is one of the most powerful warships in the world, but it is our sailors that give the U.S. Navy our warfighting advantage,” said Capt. Will Mathis, commanding officer of Theodore Roosevelt. “For over 250 years, sailors have built the foundation of our readiness and resolve, enabled us to keep America safe and ensured the U.S. Navy remains the strongest and most capable maritime force in the world.”
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.
Chamorro-Vinueza has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I received Sailor of the Year in 2023 at my first command, Electronic Attack Squadron 144,” Chamorro-Vinueza said. “It was super rough for me because I didn’t know much English, and I didn’t know anything about aircraft. But I still was able to overcome those challenges.”
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.
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.
“Serving in the Navy has shown me how far you can go when you believe in yourself,” Chamorro-Vinueza said.
Chamorro-Vinueza is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my family and my first mentor, Chief Luis Perez,” Chamorro-Vinueza said. “My family always supported me and believed in me. They always pushed me. Chief was the first person in the Navy who believed in me. When I thought I couldn’t do this, he told me I could do it.”