LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 2nd Class Antonio Desha, this story has ties to Silsbee, Texas, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy.
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink |
“I learned the importance of teamwork from playing football,” Desha said. “I think about that when I’m working because even if I don’t always like everyone I work with, we all have to come together to meet our goals to support the jet commands here on the West Coast.”
Desha graduated from Silsbee High School in 2011. Additionally, Desha earned an associate degree from Kilgore College in 2013.
Desha joined the Navy 11 years ago.
“After playing football in high school and on a semi-pro team, I tried to transfer to a school in Arkansas but I didn’t get picked up, so the military was the next option,” Desha said. “I joined the Navy to travel the world. Being from a small town like Silsbee, I wanted more opportunities.”
Today, Desha serves as an aviation machinist’s mate assigned to Fleet Readiness Center West onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore.
NAS Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing. More than half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft reside here, and it is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II.
Carrier strike groups and the embarked aviation squadrons are the cornerstone of U.S. naval power projection and sea power. They can quickly maneuver thousands of miles with the world’s most capable warships and top-notch sailors, remaining on station in areas of interest without relying on land bases or overflight agreements. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are the most adaptable, lethal and survivable airfields in the world and their presence serves as the most credible commitment to our allies and partners.
Naval aviation provides the Navy and our nation with a flexible, adaptable, and lethal force to preserve peace, respond in crises and win decisively in combat. The U.S. Navy maintains and operates more than 2,000 aircraft to fulfill various mission sets in order to preserve the American way of life and ensure freedom, security and 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.
Desha has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’ve been qualified at all of my previous commands, but I’ve had my biggest accomplishments here,” Desha said. “I was Sailor of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2025 and Sailor of the Year 2025 for Fleet Readiness Center West Lemoore and then for Sailor of the Year for Fleet Readiness Center West Coast. I worked hard to get that. Being a mechanic, you already have to do a lot but then to stand out, you have to do even more. I was president of MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation), I had so many hours of community service and I was in school.”
Desha serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
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/
“Serving in the Navy means protecting my country from enemy forces and meeting new people,” Desha said.
Desha is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my wife, Sheila,” Desha said. “She’s been here with me this whole time, supporting me. Whatever it is I have to do, she supports it. She said wherever I go, she’ll go with me. I also want to thank my kids for being my reason to wake up every day and go to work.”