Grand Prairie native serves on USS Roosevelt

Millington, Tenn.—Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexia Darkwa, from Grand Prairie, Texas, is one of more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard the self-contained mobile airport USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Equipped with a full flight deck and more than 60 aircraft including attack fighter jets and helicopters, aircraft carriers are one of the largest warships in the world.

Darkwa, a 2017 graduate of Summit High School, joined the Navy five years ago.

"I think I was feeling lost at the time. I graduated high school, and college was different. I didn't know how to manage my life," Darkwa said. "My brother always talked about joining the military, so I figured, why not? I might be the first in my family to join but hopefully not the last."

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in the Grand Prairie.

"Family is everything, and as long as you work hard, you can make anything happen," Darkwa said.

Today, Darkwa serves as a hull maintenance technician responsible for planning, supervising and performing tasks necessary for the fabrication, installation, maintenance and repair of shipboard structures.

"The process of fixing things or making something for other people and seeing different ways to do the job is kind of stressful but overall fun," Darkwa said.

USS Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor of the 26th President of the United States.

Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide.

According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and combat capability of its air wing.

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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Darkwa serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, said. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Darkwa has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

"The process of fixing things or making something for other people and seeing different ways to do the job is kind of stressful but overall fun," Darkwa said.

Darkwa can take pride in serving America through military service.

"My last command was Mobile Salvage Unit One in Hawaii. I got to do several jobs as well as some international relationship building, including during a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. I learned so much from my leaders and the people I met. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity," Darkwa said.

SOURCE Navy Office Of Community Outreach