sailor

“Our Sailors’ hard work to return George Herbert Walker Bush to the operational fleet in 2021 was exemplary,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, GHWB commanding officer. “They represent the best principles of service to the mission and the nation that our namesake, President George H.W. Bush, embodied.”

Sauceman joined the Navy two years ago.

Today, Sauceman serves as a machinist’s mate.

“I joined the Navy because I wanted a change,” said Sauceman. “The Navy is also somewhat of a family tradition.”

Growing up in Rogersville, Sauceman attended Cherokee High School and graduated in 2020.

Today, Sauceman relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Rogersville to succeed in the military.

“I was in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) in high school and learned the importance of accountability and being held to a higher standard,” said Sauceman.

These lessons have helped Sauceman while serving in the Navy.

Sauceman’s service aboard Bush follows the example of the ship’s namesake, the nation’s 41st President, George H.W. Bush. Bush is the only U.S. president to serve as a U.S. Navy aviator. During World War II he flew the TBF Avenger in Torpedo Squadron (VT) 51 and was stationed aboard USS San Jacinto (CVL 30). He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a daring bombing run over the island of Chichi Jima.

The ship bearing Bush’s name is preparing for deployment amid ongoing strategic competition between the U.S. and its adversaries. In doing so, the ship and its Sailors continue the legacy of service to the nation that U.S. Navy aircraft carriers have provided for 100 years.

Since USS Langley’s (CV 1) commissioning 100 years ago March 20, aircraft carriers and their ability to project American power around the globe have been a consistent tool in maintaining and improving U.S. national security interest and the prosperity of the American people.

Sailors aboard USS George H.W. Bush, like Sauceman, continue to burnish the legacy of the aircraft carrier fleet and naval aviation by providing the national command authority a flexible, tailorable warfighting capability as the flagship of a carrier strike group that maintains maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

Serving in the Navy means Sauceman is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is important to national security because it ensures that we have freedom of the seas and free trade for the world,” said Sauceman.

With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Sauceman and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

“Making it through boot camp and becoming a sailor was a big accomplishment,” said Sauceman. “It was a big turning point in my life.”

As Sauceman and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving in the Navy has taught me how to utilize the core values of honor, courage and commitment,” added Sauceman. “Military personnel stand out and are therefore expected to perform and behave at a higher standard. I feel like that has helped shape me as a person.”