Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Camilo E Fernan | Seaman Vincent Beckman poses for a portrait photo at Recruit Training Command. More...... read more read more
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Seaman Vincent Beckman, from #StatenIsland #NewYork, recently graduated from the #Navy ‘s only #BootCamp . We sat down with him to ask a few questions, so that everyone has a chance to meet one of our newest Sailors!
Q: Why did you join the Navy?
A: I joined the Navy mainly because of my family, and because I wanted a new challenge in life. I wanted more financial stability for my family, and the Navy offered educational benefits I wanted for myself and my family. Being a fire fighter taught me a lot and I have seen a lot of challenges throughout my life so far, but I felt I should take on more and keep going. Joining the Navy, I felt could take my family and I on adventures and challenges that some wish they could be on, and because of that I will thank the Navy every day for giving me the chance they did.
Q: What does being recognized as a spotlight Sailor mean to you?
A: I feel great. I’m the oldest of 3 children. My single mother taught us that the little things matter most in life, and never take anything for granted. Receiving recognition gives me the reassurance that not only have I been following my mother’s teachings, but also shows me I am on the right path to success in my life. I’ve been trying to write things out to express my feelings on how I can now keep moving forward onto the next challenge to fulfill in life, express my joy to my wife - that I will come home showing both her and our daughter I’ll do the best at my job for them. They can wake up every morning and be proud of the man that supports them and honors them day in and day out. Knowing now that I have been recognized gives me the mindset that there’s so much more out there for me to overcome and take on. Life is really like the ocean where there’s open possibilities that never end. Sometimes there’s storms and high waves; as long as you don’t give up and keep swimming, you’ll accomplish all that comes your way and see that shore line. This is placing me in the spotlight of my followers and my family that I cannot afford to mess-up nor let down.
Q: Who motivated you during boot camp and how did they do that?
A: I will say most definitely my RDCs played a big part in my 8 weeks at boot camp for numerous reasons which I will be forever thankful for. One day I hope to sit down and thank them. They understood my situation and allowed me to express myself freely on what I wanted out of all this. They took time to teach me and show me how to get to the next step/challenge.
Second, I will have to acknowledge my wife and daughter who of course I couldn’t stop thinking of, which helped me through boot camp. My wife is my right-hand Angel. She deserves more than what life and myself have been giving her while I’m here serving as a sailor. She influenced me to become a born-again Christian which has been a huge influence in my life due to allowing me to understand a lot of situations where we can learn from all. I will say her letters and pictures for sure encouraged me to keep going during every rough moment. My promise every day to her, my daughter, and myself is that I will never fail my ladies.
Third person I feel blessed to mention is my mother. My mother never had it easy raising 3 children on her on in New York, but made sure we had all that we needed. She really made sure we were up on our education, sports, and morals on life. I try to better myself every day, because of her and the life we lived. My mother was honorable for her 3 children, and I will always try the best I can to show my appreciation for all she has done.
Q: What was the biggest challenge for you in boot camp?
The most challenging part of training was running. I am active outside and with sports, but long-distance running wasn’t something I was great at. I had fear for days and nights that my running issue would cause me to fail my family and the Navy due to my struggle, but I overcame it as best as I could so I could add it to my stories of success in my life. Not only will I thank both my Chief RDC and my 3rd RDC – they sprinted across the track for me, yelling and pushing me to lean forward and take off when I came around my last curve - but I need to thank my wife and daughter. I saw them in my mind at the finish line, and I thought, “That’s graduation and my big reward.”
Beckman plays and mentors football and baseball in his free time. He has become active in church, and operates a handyman and landscaping business from before enlisting. He holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University in #OrangeBeach #Alabama . He looks forward to reuniting with his wife and daughter after leaving boot camp.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2021 16:28 |
| Story ID: | 410275 |
| Location: | ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Recruit Training Command Meet the Sailor, by PO1 Camilo E Fernan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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