Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 1st Class Truman Williams, this story began in Suwanee, Georgia, where skills and values learned there would be foundational to success in the Navy. “I did marching band in high school, and a lot of the leadership lessons I learned there helped prepare me for managing young sailors fresh out of high school,” Williams said. “The structure and learning how to be told ‘you are doing it wrong, do it better’ also helped me a lot.”
Image Courtesy of: U.S. Navy
Williams graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in 2008. Williams joined the Navy 10 years ago.
“I wanted to better myself and provide for my family,” Williams said. “I wasted years in college not knowing how to apply myself, and I did not see a way forward. The structure and discipline in the Navy helped me learn how to better direct myself and make a decent future and living for myself and my family.”
Today, Williams serves as a yeoman assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Three (VQ-3) in Oklahoma City. Williams supports the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission at Strategic Communications Wing One (STRATCOMMWING ONE). Its “Take Charge and Move Out” (TACAMO) mission provides airborne communication links to nuclear missile units of U.S. Strategic Command.
The U.S. Navy’s presence on an Air Force base in a landlocked state may seem strange, but the position is strategic, allowing squadrons to quickly deploy around the world in support of the TACAMO mission.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% 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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Williams has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I had the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France, where I planned and executed 56 ship visits to French ports,” Williams said. “I was awarded a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for this.”
This award is typically earned by commanding officers at the end of their tour, so it’s particularly noteworthy that Williams earned the award at such a junior level, so early in their career.
Williams serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving the Navy to me means dedicating my efforts to supporting our warfighters,” Williams said. “My job serves in direct support to them, enabling them to do their mission. Every cog in an organization as large as this one is important, and we are the ones that maintain them.”
Williams is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents for their constant support and guidance,” Williams added.
