Texas Border Business
By Megan Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Millington, Tenn. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Francisco Ramirez, a native of McAllen, Texas, is serving aboard USS Carney, a U.S. Navy warship, currently deployed in the Atlantic Ocean participating in the Carrier Strike Group Four Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test its ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea.
Ramirez, a 2019 graduate of Memorial High School, joined the Navy three years ago.
“I joined the Navy for a fresh start since I was getting in and out of trouble,” said Ramirez. “I am really glad I did.”
Ramirez relies upon skills and values similar to those found in McAllen to succeed in the military.
“I learned in my hometown that it does not matter if you are the valedictorian or a C student,” said Ramirez. “The cards you are dealt do not make you lose from the start. You make the choice to work hard and succeed or to lay back and take the loss. I chose to succeed.”
These lessons have helped Ramirez while serving in the Navy.
Today, Ramirez serves as a damage controlman aboard USS Carney.
“My favorite part about being a damage controlman is the trust the crew gives me,” said Ramirez. “When a causality happens, they look at me and know that everything will be okay because I am responding. That is a feeling I can’t explain but it is what keeps me going.”
USS Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that provides a wide range of warfighting capabilities. The 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 USS Carney. 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.
With 90 percent 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 trained sailors and a strong Navy.
“Our mission remains timeless – to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat ready at all times, focused on warfighting excellence, and committed to superior leadership at every single level,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “This is our calling. And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy.”
Ramirez and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of sobriety,” said Ramirez. “My chain of command helped me to sobriety. Because of that, I am proud to say I am one year sober.”
As Ramirez and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“The Navy is my rock,” added Ramirez. “It has supported me through rough times, it has gotten me out of a rough lifestyle and it has given me a fresh start. It has also given me brothers and sisters who I know will stick by my side during rough times.”
