EVERETT, Wash. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Caleb Stephens, a native of Colony, serves the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile destroyer operating out of Everett, Wash.
Stephens joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Stephens serves as a sonar technician.
“I wanted to serve my country and carry on a tradition of military service,” said Stephens. “My grandpa, Richard Crabtree, served in the Marine Corps and Army. My dad served in the National Guard.”
Stephens attended Crest High School and graduated in 2018.
“Growing up in Kansas, I learned a great work ethic, a knowledge of hand tools, and good social leadership skills,” said Stephens. “These have helped me succeed on a destroyer, because we have a small-town mentality where everybody knows everybody.”
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 USS Sampson. 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.
Serving in the Navy means Stephens 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.
“Our Navy controls the waters so that people can sleep with a sense of security,” said Stephens.
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 continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Stephens and other sailors have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I volunteered to play taps for Navy veterans we buried at sea,” said Stephens. “It was a tremendous honor and privilege. I have played the trumpet since fifth grade, so this was a way to use that skill.”
As Stephens and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions to support national defense, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy is an honor,” added Stephens. “You find out quickly that you’re just one cog in a big machine.”
