The importance of the Navy in a land-locked state

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWSNOW) — U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Mattingly came home to Kentucky to speak to the Rotary Club about the importance of the Navy here in the Commonwealth.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to be here to educate the educators on what the opportunities that exist for their youth that they could come in and serve their nation through the United States Navy, and then come back into part of their leadership in that community.” Admiral Mattingly said.

He adds that there are so many career options within the Navy.

“We have several [career options] – dozens and dozens of skills, of trades. So, when I grew up in the United States as a sailor, I was an air crewman, I hunted submarines,” he said. “I acoustically listened to submarines. So, my skill set was flying, but also listening for the ocean basically for submarines.”

For those not interested in hunting submarines, he says there are other options.

“It’s a very technical service but there’s a place for everyone that wants to serve,” he said.

Admiral Mattingly says the propensity to serve seems to have diminished; because of covid and other social factors people aren’t enlisting like they used to.

“As we look at our communities, we had 16 million [veterans] that served in World War Two, and we don’t have those numbers that have served as of recent. So, an opportunity to influence inside communities has diminished a bit,” he said.

If you do want to enlist, he recommends using a guidance counselor at school or going to your local recruitment office.

“When I first went into serve, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into quite frankly. But now looking back on this career, I could not think of a better way to serve my nation. I’m just proud to be an American, I’m proud to be a Kentuckian and it has provided me the opportunities to lead, to mentor and to be in someone’s life that maybe has the same inspiration and aspiration to serve,” he said.