Story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne, Navy Office of Community Outreach Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
MAYPORT, Fla. – A 2013 Bloomington High School graduate and Bloomington, Illinois, native is one of 1,200 sailors who recently returned to Naval Station Mayport after a six-month deployment aboard USS Iwo Jima.
Petty Officer 2nd Class David Vaught is a Navy machinist’s mate aboard the Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, who recently deployed to the Middle East and Mediterranean areas of operation. For more than half of the sailors aboard Iwo Jima, the six-month journey served as their first deployment, according to Navy officials.
A Navy machinist’s mate is responsible for maintaining the ship’s main engine and the boiler along with the generators to help give the ship electricity.
“I love traveling and learning more about my job and the sailors I work with,” Vaught said.
Vaught credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Bloomington.
“I was taught to always try to get the work done in a timely manner and the quality of the work you do is important,” Vaught said.
Iwo Jima made port calls in Haifa, Israel; Limassol, Cyprus; Aqaba, Jordan, and Malaga, Spain. The visits helped grow the strong alliance between the U.S. and its partner nations as well as providing an opportunity for the crew to experience cultures from around the world, according to Navy officials.
Deployed since Feb. 7 as part of an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), the ship participated in exercises Juniper Cobra and Eager Lion. It also hosted a 10-day embarkation of Egyptian naval officers to discuss concepts of amphibious naval operations and strengthen partner nation capabilities.
“This deployment was the most high-tempo one I’ve experienced in my 25-year naval career,” said Capt. Joseph O’Brien, Iwo Jima’s commanding officer. “The entire Navy and Marine Corps team performed extraordinarily well in an incredibly dynamic environment throughout deployment. The sailors and Marines working on equipment, launching aircraft on the flight deck, conducting amphibious operations, navigating the ship and standing watch down in the plant were all at the absolute top of their game. This is an amazing group of sailors and Marines, and I am honored to serve with them.”
Though there are many ways for a sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Vaught is most proud of getting promoted to second class petty officer and received both Enlisted Surface Warfare and Enlisted Aviation Warfare pins.
“It puts me above the rest in my rate,” Vaught said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Vaught and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy is important to me because of family tradition with being a third generation to join the Navy,” Vaught said.
