After earning his GED and working as a lineman in Moulton, U.S. Navy sailor Issac Smith is now aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The Navy featured aviation ordnanceman Smith in a recent article commemorating the Navy’s contribution to the nation’s defense.
Smith joined the Navy a year ago and is stationed in San Diego. He said his work in Alabama helped shape him for a successful Naval experience.
“I’d say my lineman job helped by preparing me to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice and teaching me to work through hard tasks, even if they seem impossible,” Smith said. “In the Navy, we often have to leave for long periods. If I didn’t have that job in my background, I wouldn’t be used to that now. That background mentally and physically prepared me for the work that comes with this job.”
After facing challenges in the civilian world, Smith said he wanted to learn skills in the military that he could take back into the civilian world. He was an honor graduate of boot camp and beat over 1,000 sailors in academics, physical fitness and military bearing.
“For me, serving in the Navy proves that everyone who doubted me in life was wrong,” Smith said. “I became something by myself, and I acquired everything on my own.”
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is one of the largest warships in the world, spanning 1,092 feet and is a temporary home for more than 5,000 sailors.
“This aircraft carrier is one of the most powerful warships in the world, but it is our sailors that give the U.S. Navy our warfighting advantage,” said Capt. Will Mathis, commanding officer of Theodore Roosevelt. “For over 250 years, sailors have built the foundation of our readiness and resolve, enabled us to keep America safe and ensured the U.S. Navy remains the strongest and most capable maritime force in the world.”
Smith credited his wife, who he said has pushed him to become a better man.
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