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- Information courtesy of Navy Office of Community Outreach
A Warren County native serves as master-at-arms for the U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor and has stated that the lessons he learned growing up in rural North Carolina have helped him throughout his 20-year career.
Chief Petty Officer Michael Atkins, of Littleton, is assigned to Commander Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific operating out of Pearl Harbor.
“I joined the Navy because of a family tradition of service,” Atkins said in a press statement from the Navy’s office of Community Outreach.
Atkins, a 1997 graduate of Warren County High School, said he is proud to help others succeed in their careers and in life. “Being a part of an organization like the Navy is not about an individual, it is a team effort.”
“I come from a small town and we had a lot of respect for others and treating others how you want to be treated,” he said.
“Each of our sailors is an ambassador for the United States,” Atkins said, “whether they are the most junior seaman or an admiral.”
Atkins and the sailors he serves with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
As Atkins and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.
“To me, serving in the Navy means carrying on a tradition of our nation’s history that goes back hundreds of years and I am now part of that history,” said Atkinss.
Atkins is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents, Charles and Linda, my wife, Maria, daughter, Natasha, and countless mentors and service members I have served with for supporting me and giving me guidance along my career,” added Atkins.
With 90 percent 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 trained sailors and a strong Navy.
“Our mission remains timeless – to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat-ready at all times, focused on warfighting excellence, and committed to superior leadership at every single level,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of Naval Operations. “This is our calling. And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy.”