Lieutenant Junior Grade Alexis Suarez, a native of Westbury, serves the U.S. Navy aboard one of the world’s largest warships, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Manvir Gill)
Suarez enlisted 13 years ago and serves as a career aviation ordnanceman.
“I joined the Navy for an opportunity to improve the lives of the people that depended on me,” Suarez said.
Suarez relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Westbury to succeed in the military.
“No matter how difficult a time may seem, there is always an opportunity to persevere and succeed,” Suarez said.
These lessons have helped Suarez while serving in the Navy.
Aircraft carriers provide unique capabilities and survivability. They are a powerful exhibition of the American Navy’s legacy of innovation, technological evolution, and maritime dominance, according to Navy officials.
The Ford represents the first major design investment in aircraft carriers since the 1960s. The ship carries more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft. With nearly 5,000 sailors serving aboard, Ford is a self-contained mobile airport and represents a generational leap in the aircraft carrier’s capacity to project power on a global scale.
“I could not be more proud of our sailors; this crew displayed a phenomenal amount of resiliency and proficiency during each phase of our operational development,” Ford’s commanding officer Captain Paul Lanzilotta said. “The crew’s efforts are what make Warship 78 so great, and I can’t wait to be a part of what this mighty warship and her crew achieve in 2022.”
Serving in the Navy means Suarez is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Through maritime presence and global alliance the Navy affords many nations the ability to detect and deter threats which allows a greater global democracy,” Suarez said.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and Internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
“There is no specific achievement or recognition that I most value,” Suarez. said. “However, being a constant positive example to my children and immediate family is enough.”
“Serving in the Navy is a privilege,” he added. “Only in the U.S. Navy can a person who lived a life of inherited social obstacles prior to enlisting, be given the opportunity to join an organization that has aided in their personal professional development, while trusting them to help others reach their best potential.”
—Submitted by Alvin Plexico, Navy Office of Community Outreach
