SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 1st Class Shannon Wineholt, a native of San Antonio, Texas, serves aboard USS Chung-Hoon, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California.
Wineholt graduated from Judson High School in 1994.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Antonio.
“San Antonio has strong support for the U.S. military,” Wineholt said. Having a strong military presence in Texas encouraged me to take charge of my life and to join the military because the thought was always at the back of my mind. I received my associate degree, and I thought it would be a good time to join and gather more tools in my belt for the outside world.”
Wineholt joined the Navy 14 years ago. Today, Wineholt serves as a Navy counselor.
“I joined the Navy to provide a better life for my sons and myself,” Wineholt said. “I wanted to pursue the opportunities the Navy has to offer so that I can give my sons a head start in life.”
Chung-Hoon is a guided missile destroyer named after Rear Adm. Gordon P. Chung-Hoon, who served during WWII and received the Navy Cross and Silver Star for gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer of USS Sigsbee from May 1944 to October 1945.
A Navy destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a Phalanx close-in weapons system.
More than 300 sailors serve aboard a destroyer. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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.
Wineholt has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“Initially, my proudest accomplishment was getting through boot camp at my age as I joined later in life,” Wineholt said. “From there, it was getting through the field medical training battalion as a hospital corpsman and being with the Marines for three years. Now, it’s being here today on the USS Chung-Hoon after 14 years of my naval career.”
Wineholt 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 means to serve my country,” Wineholt said. “It also means to be independent. It provides a stable life for me and my sons. If it weren’t for the military, I might have stayed in an unhealthy relationship. Being in the military taught me to have the confidence to support myself and my sons.”
Wineholt is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents,” Wineholt added. “They were there every step of the way. My dad was always suggesting a military career at every chance he got. If it weren’t for that, I probably would not have enlisted in the military. Now, I am giving that same encouragement to my son.”