Photo By James Foehl | 190117-N-PX557-9999 MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (January 17, 2019) Official portrait of Lt....... read more read more
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- “When I joined the Navy, I barely saw African American officers. I believe that African Americans are now making positive strides in the officer ranks,” said Lt. Nana Bonsu, a Navy Supply Corps officer assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center (BSC) in Mechanicsburg. “We’re still growing and breaking down barriers, but I feel lucky to be part of a group that is inspiring the next generation of Sailors.”
African American and Black men and women have a long history of distinguished service, dating back to the colonial days before the establishment of the Navy. Each February, the Navy honors their legacy of service, while recognizing the men and women who will secure the future for the next generation of African American and Black Sailors.
Bonsu, a Houston native, enlisted in the Navy to pay for college and see the world. From working the deck plates as a seaman to leading Sailors as a commissioned officer, he continues to lead logistics information technology (IT) solutions as a NAVSUP BSC Project Officer and promote positive command morale and quality of life as Command Managed Equal Opportunity Manager.
“This position has allowed me to come full circle and leverage my supply chain and logistics experience,” said Bonsu. “The diverse team at NAVSUP BSC is always working towards a common goal, and that makes it fun to come to work.”
Bonsu’s journey to NAVSUP BSC began with his enlistment as a Storekeeper. Following basic and “A” school training, he served aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG-66) and later aboard Military Sealift Command’s dry cargo/ammunition ship, USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE-5). Aboard Peary, Bonsu was promoted to chief petty officer and reassigned to guided-missile frigate USS Hawes (FFG-53). There, he applied for the Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21) program, a highly-competitive full-time undergraduate education and commissioning program for enlisted personnel.
“My selection for STA-21 was very humbling. As an African American, it felt as if I was opening the door wider for more people like me,” said Bonsu.
After Bonsu’s STA-21 selection, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Prairie View A&M University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
According to the U.S. Department of Education, an HBCU is a higher learning institution established before 1964 with the mission of meeting the educational needs of Black students. Many of these were established after the Civil War to meet the educational needs of Black students who were unable to attend the majority of higher education institutions due to segregation.
“I could have gone to any college, but it was important to me to attend an HBCU,” he said. “I learned a lot from those educators and their life experiences that I wouldn’t have anywhere else.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree and Navy commission, he completed his Division Officer tour aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3); and served as Aviation Support Detachment Officer at Naval Air Station Oceana, where he provided aviation support to Super Hornet squadrons and 64 Fleet Readiness Center work centers before arriving at NAVSUP BSC.
As diversity and inclusion issues came to the forefront of our nation in 2020, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday asked Sailors to listen, and established Task Force One Navy to address issues of racism, sexism, destructive biases, and their impact on naval readiness.
“We must demand of each other that we treat everyone with dignity and respect. If you won’t do that, then our Navy is not the best place for you,” said Gilday in a June 2020 press release. “We are one team, and we are one Navy.”
“NAVSUP is committed to the principles of diversity, inclusiveness, and respect; these principles are integral elements of our command culture,” said Rear Adm. Peter Stamatopoulos, commander, NAVSUP. “We must constantly renew our commitment to foster an environment that appreciates individual perspectives and enhances our ability to develop effective solutions to today’s challenges. From senior leaders to frontline employees, we collectively share the responsibility to ensure diversity and inclusion are ingrained into the NAVSUP culture.”
“It means a lot to me to see that Navy leadership is taking diversity and inclusion so seriously,” said Bonsu. “They are sending a clear message that if you’re not on board with this, you are going to get left behind.
"There was a time when seeing a Black officer on a ship, earlier in my career, was a wow moment for me because it wasn’t that common. It motivated me,” he said. “Now it’s much more common. They helped open the door for me, and I hope that I’m able to do that and be an example for others.
“In today’s Navy, no one is going to come out and say they’re not going to promote you or put you in a certain position because you’re African American. They’ll say things like, ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’, or ‘that’s not how we do it here.’
“I let my work speak for itself and not concern myself with what someone may think of me based on a stereotype. At the end of the day, you want the best person in the job. No matter their skin color, religion, or sexual orientation. Diversity and inclusion are key to establishing an environment of dignity and respect. We all play an important role in that.
“As a Navy officer, it’s my responsibility to ensure everyone is treated fairly and represented equally. To retain our best and brightest Sailors and maintain our competitive edge, we must afford the same promotion and advancement opportunities to the best-qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin,” said Bonsu.
To learn more about the legacy of African American and Black men and women in the Navy, visit https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans.html.
To learn more about Task Force One Navy, visit https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jan/26/2002570959/-1/-1/1/TASK%20FORCE%20ONE%20NAVY%20FINAL%20REPORT.PDF.
For more information about NAVSUP BSC, visit https://www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/bsc/.
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2021 07:44 |
| Story ID: | 388331 |
| Location: | MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 1,255 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, African American/Black History Month: Houston Native Reflects on Navy Supply Corps Service, by Thomas Zimmerman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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