MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Hospitalman Aubrielle Williams, a native of Corcoran, California, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, Spain.
Williams graduated from Corcoran High School and West Hills Lemoore College in 2024.
Not knowing what to do with life, Williams began a career in Navy Medicine.
“Honestly, joining the Navy was out of desperation,” Williams said. “I didn't know what I wanted to do with life. Though I knew that I wanted to travel, help people and continue my education. Being in the Navy has allowed me to do all three of those things. Though I joined in desperation, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I know that there is a reason as to why I took this path in life.”
Lessons from Corcoran continue to shape Williams’ service.
“Growing up, I was exposed to such a wide variety of cultures,” Williams said. “The Navy is filled with a wide range of cultures in which I have the honor of working with each shift.”
As a hospital corpsman, Williams supports Navy missions worldwide.
“I am a corpsman who works in labor and delivery, and though we might not always work with service members directly, we do work with their dependents,” Williams said. “While service members are on deployment or have a busy schedule, we provide their loved ones’ support and take care of them. This can be one more stress factor taken off a sailor’s mind.”
Williams said some aspects of Navy Medicine would surprise people at home.
“I think people are shocked to see that I'm really just working shifts in a hospital, just like in the civilian world,” Williams said. “Oftentimes, when you think of the military, you think of a war zone. However, that is not the case for me. Joining the Navy has helped me realize that the military is far more than a combat zone or a ship.”
According to Navy officials, NAVSTA’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research.
NAVSTA Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Treatment Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below and above the sea and ashore.
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.
When reflecting on her short Navy career, Williams has one accomplishment that stands out most.
“Physical fitness, more specifically running, has always been a challenge for me,” Williams said. “Regardless of how active I am or was, I always struggled so much with running. My time spent in the Navy has been short-lived; therefore, my biggest accomplishment has been getting my run time down by a lot. It may not be the greatest, but it has allowed me to pass my Physical Readiness Tests.
Williams serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“To wear this uniform means I have a sense of pride and identity,” Williams said. “This uniform means that no matter how far I am from home, I have a family. It also means that I have a purpose to serve and help those around me.”
Williams encourages others interested in a career in health care to consider Navy Medicine.
“If I were speaking to someone back home about considering a career in Navy Medicine, I would just be honest with them,” Williams said. “At my current position, it's no different from working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the civilian world, except that we're able to do more. On top of that, while we work, our rent is covered, we are given a place for a hot meal and, not to mention, I get paid more to live in Spain. There are so many benefits.”
“To wear this uniform means I have a sense of pride and identity,” Williams said. “This uniform means that no matter how far I am from home, I have a family. It also means that I have a purpose to serve and help those around me.”
Williams encourages others interested in a career in health care to consider Navy Medicine.
“If I were speaking to someone back home about considering a career in Navy Medicine, I would just be honest with them,” Williams said. “At my current position, it's no different from working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the civilian world, except that we're able to do more. On top of that, while we work, our rent is covered, we are given a place for a hot meal and, not to mention, I get paid more to live in Spain. There are so many benefits.”