SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Seals, a native of San Antonio, Texas, serves aboard USS Chung-Hoon, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California.
Seals graduated from Southwest High School in 2015.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Antonio.
“One of the lessons I learned was to stay grounded to who I am as a person and stay true to myself,” Seals said. “My grandparents and my uncle pushed me to my full potential. Being in the Navy, I pushed myself to sharpen my tools in my toolbox so when things are thrown at me, I can adapt according to the situation.”
Seals joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Seals serves as a cryptologic technician (technical).
“I joined the Navy to be the first person in my family to join in the military service and to lay down future foundations,” Seals said. “I wanted to be proud of something. I didn’t do much in high school, and I didn’t have many aspirations. I joined the Navy to be a better example for people in my family. I wanted to show them there are options outside of Texas.”
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.
Seals has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is being able to transfer from a culinary specialist to a cryptologic technician,” Seals said. “I was a culinary specialist for six years, and people were telling me I would never get out of that job, as it was a dead-end job. I pursued the difficult path and consistently sought out opportunities to transition to a cryptologic technician. In the end, I was able to strike the job and had to go from a secret to a top secret clearance.”
Seals 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 set a standard no matter where you’re at,” Seals said. “No matter what the work day looks like, no matter where you are, you need to set the standard for your junior sailors so that everyone is on the same page and that there is no miscommunication. We get the job done so we can go home to our families.”
Seals is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my fiancée, my two children, my grandparents, and my uncles and aunts,” Seals added. “To my fiancée, thank you for your support, for giving me the positive mindset and always telling me that today will be a good day no matter the outcome. At the end of the day, I look forward to going home to my family. To my grandparents, Jackie and Mario Martinez, thank you for raising me and keeping a roof over my head. Thank you for continuously pushing me even when I seemed lost. Finally, to my uncles, Tim Lapointe and Kirk Martinez, for being a father figure in my life, and for always having my back when things were tough.”