 The United States Navy, today's Navy, it may have a place for you. A place for you to work, grow, earn a living, learn a profession. It's a place where men and women like you are finding themselves right now. They're living it, and they're the ones who can tell you what it's all about. What a hard work, willing to work hard and sacrifice, you'll get something out of it. From an operational standpoint or from the point of having total responsibility, really getting involved in your job, this is the place. This is it. So far so good. I've had some good tours. They've been very demanding tours. It's a real kick. I would recommend it to other young men, maybe not as a career, but for an initial four-year enlistment. The question is, how do you get to be a naval officer? How do you get started? If you're in high school, you have two ways. One is to try for an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. And that means four years of intensive study, leading to a highly respected degree and a commission in the United States Navy. I'm Chalk-Khal Indian, because I think the Academy is an ideal situation to do away with prejudice. Certain things are expected of you, regardless of what color, race or creed you are. If you can't hack the standards here, you're not going to stick around. Another way to a commission is through Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, NROTC. At many colleges and universities, you can get instruction in naval science that fits right in with your other undergraduate studies. You'll definitely have to work, be prepared to really buckle down and work. On the other hand, if you're already in college or have your degree, there are two other routes to becoming an officer. The first is Officer Candidate School, with its intensive and competitive course of study, Enable Science and Leadership. Bearing on the red booling. You get a feeling of pride that you are Officer Candidate, and that one day you will become an officer and that you have to be under certain pressures that later on it's going to pay off. If you'd like to fly, there's the Navy's Aviation Officer Candidate School, a rigorous program to get you in shape, mentally and physically. Whatever path you choose, the Navy figures you've got to learn what it means to follow before you can learn to lead. Getting a commission is something to be proud of, but it doesn't mean you've got it made. That gold bar is only a beginning. Now is when you start learning your trade and earning your pay. If you think maybe this guy shouldn't be the limit, the Navy will teach you to fly the whole program, from basic trainers to advanced instruction in multi-engine aircraft, helicopters and high performance jets. If you're aiming for a ship or job, you've got to earn that position too. The training is tough. The pace is fast. It takes perseverance and the will to succeed. You'll learn to take hold and take responsibility because when it comes down to it, this is no game. You're preparing for the real thing. The Navy now is going more to a more technical orientation, more sophisticated equipment. And quite naturally the officers who are managing that equipment are going to have to have an adequate background. We're putting more and more emphasis on putting students in the hard science subjects. And move the large-scale... Once you get your commission, this is, in fact, the beginning of your Navy career. Subsequent to that, you branch off into various warfare specialties or staff corps specialty. You're a young guy. You're a young guy. You just stepped into a big, big organization. And you've got to work your way up. It's no different than any other big company. It's no different than to say I'm going to start off at the lower level. I mean, coming from a non-military environment and stepping into the Navy, you just don't decide you want to stay in 20 years the first day or the first year or maybe the first two years. You've got to check it out. But all the time, time is going by and it's like I said, you have to start right to end right. He said it. Start right to end right. You will be standing watches, learning operations, taking responsibility, becoming a leader. There's a whole world of jobs for the young naval officer. On here I'm the supply officer of the ship. We have some 61 people assigned. The Navy experience has been demanding. It's been very competitive and rewarding. Hey, Dick, it looks like we're going to have to change the route of flight here. Okay. The weather's up here. Let's go down here to the south and come in about here. Okay, why don't you go back and get the sensor 3, bring up the radar and we'll see how bad the weather is. This is the P3B aircraft. It flies about 12 hours and I'm going to navigate on the aircraft. That means it's my job to make sure that this airplane gets off the ground, knows where it's going and most important, gets back home. If you're coming out of college and you're not sure what you want to do or you want to have a chance to travel a few years in the Navy it's not going to hurt you. Many, many different types of jobs you can get into. You've got a chance to grow, you've got a chance to mature, you've got a chance to travel, you've got a chance to stock up on some money. And if you like me, you might meet your wife too. In my opinion, the way to spend time at sea in the Navy is on a submarine. Performance is the only thing that you can be judged on. The name of the game is getting in there and finding out what has to be done and doing it and doing it to the best of your ability. There is no room for second-rate sailors out here. It takes a professional to be at home doing this. And that's true whether your work takes you 40 feet above the sea or 40,000. The name of the game is Responsibility. As a black individual, as a black officer in the Navy based on past experience, I did not really expect to be thrown into a real heavy responsible job. We still have our problems, however, the situation has improved dramatically over the years. It's not all ice cream and cake, however. Anyone coming into the United States Navy now can basically expect to get into a very responsible position. The name of the game really is Responsibility. Both to yourself, to your ship, and to those you'll lead. Leadership has always meant being sure you know the way so that you can show others the way. The Navy has a big job and you'll be expected to carry heavy responsibilities right from the start. Whether it's handling a multi-million dollar aircraft or dispersing a half million in pay to the crew of a giant aircraft carrier. It's a big responsibility and you're accountable for that money and you make sure that you disperse that properly. It's a big, it's a good experience. It's very fulfilling and satisfying. And all I can say is it's great to be in. I'm the commander of the Skyrim Missile Destroyer at USS Hillel. It's 437 feet long. I have 19 officers on board and normally around 360 in Mr. Personnel. In any endeavor or any field there are going to be some advantages and disadvantages. But I think the advantage is far outweigh the disadvantages. And I couldn't recommend it too highly for a young man today to consider this as an avenue for advancement and a challenging career. One man who has seen the Navy from almost every level is Vice Admiral Samuel Gravely, commander of the U.S. Third Fleet. Well for me it's been a really interesting career. I've certainly come across a few things that I thought were problems. I think that I've found ways to solve those things. I've had certainly slurs and insults, but I've had nothing that caused me to want to go anyway than up and try to succeed in this man's Navy. I think when we first got into the business of equal opportunity there were some people who began to feel that we had two sets of regulations. We had one set for whites, we had another set for blacks. An equal opportunity only applied to blacks and things of that nature. But I think now as we get more into equal opportunity or the business of equal opportunity we realize that it's really one Navy. It's not a black Navy. It's not a white Navy. It's one Navy where an equal opportunity applies to all hands. If you put enough in you get enough out. But if you come out here with the attitudes that people are going to give you something you're going to lose out. You can always expect a fair shake. I think most of the services are looking for somebody that is willing and able to handle responsibilities. Your color, your origin really has very little to do with it. It's alright for me right now. I'm not going to do it for the rest of my life. But for right now it's okay. I think I'm getting a lot out of it. It's definitely getting a lot out of me. Commander Buddy Penn recently took over as commanding officer of the Naval Aviation Squadron. For him, being in charge is no longer a future goal. It's a present reality. I've matured in the 15 years I've been in the Navy. Other things I heard as a young man are true. You do have to work hard. If you come in, turn to concentrate on your job. Try to do the very best you can. You'll make it. It is still awfully nice to go out and strap on an airplane that will do a thousand miles an hour and go out and do your thing. Well I think that for those of our young Mexican American and Hispanic speaking people that the Navy probably has the opportunities that a lot of them will be looking for. And I think that if our youngsters are willing to work hard to stay in school and look for advancement the Navy's a place for them. And build the kind of life you want. Like they say, the Navy, it isn't just a job. It's an adventure. Whatever you do, wherever you are in the world, there's one thing you can be proud of. You are an officer in the United States Navy. And that means, a professional. Catch the stern blinds. On that antenna down. The training never stops. Whether it's above or below the water. You keep on learning. Growing. All that two thirds. Three down. Open the venue. It's not an officer. All right. Vents are open. Submergence ship all head two thirds. Full dive on a few water planes. Three down. Three down. Full dive. Firewater planes all head. Two thirds. Vents open. Submergence ship. I relieve you as diving officer. I stand relieved. This is Mr. Washington. I have the doc. We want to take charge of three water planes. Make depth to six, five feet. All stations, good board conditions. Normal on the dive. This is going to want to dive higher. You can't come in with any specific expectations. So you just have to be open-minded and say, I'm going to make the best of whatever situation I find myself in. And with that type of mind, you can find that you will make the best of it. This becomes more of a personal challenge to learn about yourself. And after you've put in a few years at sea, you get to know quite a bit about yourself. Upside down and actually look at the sun and move your large scale greater until the horizon comes to the sun. And then turn it around and use your fine tuner. I think there's nothing wrong with saying that I'm feeling it out. I'm still young. Maybe there is something in here for me to do for 20 years. Maybe I should just stay fine. But since I've been here, I've traveled around. I've grown up. And I've enjoyed it most of the time. I think that they're going to find as much equal opportunity here as any place in any other facet of American society. I think that it's going to take a lot of hard work. It's going to take determination. It's going to take developing and learning skills. But at the same time, if the young man does possess those things that he needs to succeed, he can succeed in the Navy with no difficulty whatsoever. Look through the horizon. And beyond. You have the choice of pathways. Naval ROTC. The Academy at Annapolis. Officer Candidate School. Or Aviation Officer Candidate School. And there are special programs if you have special degrees. You know what it takes. You've heard from those who've been there. A readiness to accept the discipline. The academic challenge. The physical strength. As well as the responsibility to be a leader. If you're for the challenge, it's all there in the United States Navy. Maybe there's a place for you. Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All rights reserved