Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and this training requires highly-dedicated instructors.
At Naval Education and Training Command, this obligation falls upon hard-charging, Navy professionals who train and mentor the Navy’s future warfighters.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcel Nesmith, a native of Las Vegas, is an instructor at NETC, providing the fleet with sailors who possess the basic technical knowledge and skills necessary for naval service.
“I enjoy being a mentor and coach to people who are brand new to this organization and helping them with the long road that they have ahead,” Nesmith said.
Instructors are experts in the subject matter they teach, and they provide cutting-edge technical training that transforms civilians into mission-ready sailors.
Nesmith, a 2003 graduate of Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts High School, credits success as an instructor to many of the lessons learned growing up in Las Vegas.
“I learned to work smarter, not harder,” Nesmith said. “This trait has helped me succeed in my Navy life.”
NETC educates and trains those who serve our nation, taking them from street-to-fleet by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat ready warfighters, while providing the tools and opportunities for continuous learning and development.
NETC is made up of six commands that provide a continuum of professional education and training in support of Surface Navy requirements that prepare enlisted sailors and officers to serve at sea, providing apprentice and specialized skills training to 7,500 sailors a year.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
Nesmith plays an important role in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Nesmith is most proud of earning two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
“It culminates an abundance of work that you’ve done and accomplished,” Nesmith said. “It’s a testament to the many things that you’ve done successfully.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Nesmith, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Nesmith is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“Ninety percent of the males in my family have served in the Armed Forces,” Nesmith said. “I have a sense of pride carrying the family torch serving our country.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Nesmith and other instructors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“It means the betterment of our country and our organization,” Nesmith said. “We’re setting a good example for equality and a good example for standards.”