Nigerian trains to be a U.S. Navy Future Warfighter

Tue, Aug 13, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Maritime

SAILORS are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and this training requires highly-dedicated instructors.

At Naval Education and Training command, instructors at advanced technical schools teach sailors to be highly skilled, operational, and combat ready warfighters, while providing the tools and opportunities for continuous learning and development.

Seaman Victor Diamond, a native of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is a student at NETC, learning the necessary skills needed to be a boatswain’s mate.

A boatswain’s mate is responsible for the overall maintenance and preservation of Navy warships.

Students attend advanced technical schools after “boot camp.” They are taught the basic technical knowledge and skills required to be successful in their new careers.

Diamond, a 2007 graduate of Century International High School, credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Port Harcourt.

“I learned to live a positive life, live by example and to be a positive example for others to do the same,” Diamond said. “I grew up in a family where respect and doing what is right is very important, and you have to own what you’ve done no matter what the consequences.”

NETC educates and trains those who serve, providing the tools and opportunities which enable life-long learning, professional and personal growth and development, ensuring fleet readiness and mission accomplishment.

NETC is made up of six commands that provide a continuum of professional education and training in support of Surface Navy requirements that prepare enlisted sailors and officers to serve at sea, providing apprentice and specialized skills training to 7,500 sailors a year.

A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.

Diamond plays an important role in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of National Defense Strategy.

“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Diamond and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy is all about looking out for your shipmates,” Diamond said. “We are all a family and that means a lot to me. Mentally, it has made me a better person and has encouraged me to believe in myself. The Navy teaches me how to be a leader, to be a critical thinker, a better decision maker and better at risk management.”

– Aug. 13, 2019 @ 17:20 GMT |

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