Keywords
Mighty Pen Project, Veteran, Memoir, Navy, Sailing, Joining the Military, Recruitment, Nuclear Navy, Interviews, Stress
Abstract
A sailor goes through the nerve-wracking process of entering the nuclear navy.
Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in the Mighty Pen Project. The program, developed by author David L. Robbins, and in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, offers veterans and their family members a customized twelve-week writing class, free of charge. The program encourages, supports, and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of military experience so both writer and audience may benefit.
Author Biography
Daniel joined the Navy on December 9th, 2014 during his final year studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He commissioned as a Naval Officer through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island on September 25th, 2015 as part of 17-15 G Company. His first tour was aboard USS McCampbell (DDG-85), an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer based out of Yokosuka, Japan where he patrolled the geopolitically contested waters of the South China Sea as he served as First Lieutenant. There he would work with the Japanese, South Korean, Philippine, Brunei, and Australian Navies to forge stronger ties with US Allies in the region. He would return to Japan for a second tour, this time aboard USS Patriot (MCM-7), an Avenger class minesweeper based out of Sasebo. On one of the last commissioned wooden warships of the Navy, he would once more patrol the South China Sea, to project US naval power and protect international waters from regional claims. During this tour, while serving as the Assistant Chief Engineer, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (O-3). He would once again work with regional allies, to include those from his previous tour as well as Thai, Italian, and French navies to promote international cooperation and stability in the South China Sea. Following his second tour, he separated from active duty on May 1st of 2021 to start a new chapter of life with his wife, Catherine, in Richmond, Virginia.
