Photo: Navy Office of Community Outreach
Bradenton native serves in US Navy aboard floating airport USS Carl Vinson
Petty Officer 3rd Class Jefferson Roosevelt Dor of Bradenton is serving the U.S. Navy aboard one of the world’s largest warships, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
“I joined the Navy to serve the country and for the education opportunities,” said Dor, who graduated from Bayshore High School in 2019.
Dor joined the Navy two years ago and serves as a hospital corpsman. He said he relies upon the skills and values he learned growing up in Bradenton to succeed in the military.
“Being authentic, being yourself and learning to serve with humility are lessons I learned from my hometown,” Dor said. “These skills have helped me to progress. Ego and pride does not help one lead others."
The USS Carl Vinson, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life. The ship is capable of carrying more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. With more than 5,000 sailors, the Carl Vinson is a self-contained mobile airport.
The Carl Vinson and its crew recently returned to San Diego following an eight-month deployment to U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleets areas of operation.
“Serving in the Navy means giving back to my country and my people,” Dor said. “There is a type of honor you get and recognition for being a member of the 1 percent who dedicate his or her life to service.”
The Carl Vinson was the first aircraft carrier to deploy with a combination of fourth- and fifth-generation platforms within Carrier Air Wing 2 that represent the “Air Wing of the Future,” including the F-35C Lightning IIs and the CMV-22B Ospreys.
“The Navy contributes a lot to national security by being anywhere at any time where there may be trouble,” Dor said. “Countries feel safe when they see American naval power. I am most proud of earning the rank of enlisted surface warfare specialist, as it is a great accomplishment that not everyone in my position has done."
Submitted by Senior Chief Petty Officer James Thorson, Navy Office of Community Outreach