SAN DIEGO - Lt. John King, a native of Bay City, Michigan, with family ties to Green Bay, Wisconsin, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 1 operating out of Naval Base San Diego.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Diamond Kyles |
King joined the Navy 18 years ago.
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t really know what to do with life,” King said. “Initially I enlisted and was going to do one contract and get out and go to college. But I got married and had a family very young, and I realized I was really good at the Navy, and I enjoyed it. I was a hoodlum when I was a kid, and if I had stayed in Michigan, I would have gone down a bad road, but when I moved to Wisconsin, I turned it around. I realized that if I worked hard and applied myself, I could reap the benefits. I saw that when I was in the Navy as well. I was recognized appropriately for the work I had put in.”
Today, King serves as a surface operations limited duty officer.
The mission of LCSRON 1 is to oversee training, maintenance, manning and certification of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) crews and ships to provide combatant commanders with flexible, agile and lethal assets able to operate effectively in the littoral environment.
LCSs are designed to operate in near-shore environments to counter 21st-century threats. The ships can function independently or in high-threat scenarios as part of a networked battle force that includes larger, multi-mission surface combatants such as cruisers and destroyers.
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/
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.
King has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of my first tour as U.S. 7th Fleet staff aboard the USS Blue Ridge,” King said. “We supported Operation Tomodachi and the humanitarian efforts after the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. To be a part of that effort was really rewarding. I am also proud of earning the rank of chief petty officer and getting selected as a limited duty officer (LDO). I looked at many commissioning paths, and for me it was a personal drive to say I came from the bottom and I still made it. I am just as good as everyone else, no matter what cards I was dealt.”
“I am also proud of the work I did while aboard the USS Bulkeley with the real-world operations that were going on in the Middle East,” King added. “I was able to apply the training that the Navy had given me to save lives.”
King 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 simply means serving a cause greater than yourself,” King said. “A lot of people join for their own personal reasons, but you find out while you're in your real reason for service. As you continue to serve, you realize it's much bigger than you; it's about those sailors on those ships.”
King is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my first chief, Rodney Porter, Lt. Jerry Cannon and Lt. Cmdr. Jessy Camerano,” King added. “Rodney supported me during a tough time in my career. Jerry, my administration officer at the Naval Postgraduate School, helped me research the LDO route to become an officer. It was the first time I got to see what LDO’s do, and I knew I wanted to be like him. Jessy supported me through my commissioning as an LDO. He was a guy who was doing the job I wanted, and he took me under his wing and showed me what to do.
“I also want to thank my family and friends who have supported me throughout my career. And lastly, I want to thank all the sailors and senior leadership who have supported me over the years. The Navy is a team sport, and we wouldn't get anywhere on our own.”