“I wake up every day and I never dread coming into work. I wake up, and I am like, ‘We’re doing something cool.’”
When 21-year-old Destiny Lord stepped away from college and a fading dream of becoming a video game designer, little did she know the journey would lead to an outstanding career with the Seabees. Now, years later the 28-year-old Atlanta native has earned the coveted Junior Sailor of the Year Award for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Europe, Africa, Central (EURAFCENT).
Lord’s transition from civilian to Seabee wasn’t cut and dry. Lord recognized her love of hands-on work and found herself seeking a job where she would be assigned to a ship; but was surprised when she was offered the rate of Utilitesman. With little knowledge about the Seabee mission, Lord did some research and quickly embraced her new career.
“The Seabees do a lot of humanitarian efforts, and I felt like that kind of work is the best way to give back,” said Lord. “I also saw the long legacy of people like Marvin Glenn Shields and others who did amazing things. Just knowing I was joining to follow in the same path as them made me excited.”
Her journey as a Seabee quickly took shape with three humanitarian deployments while assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 in Port Hueneme, California. She embarked on two six-month deployments to the Philippines and a seven-month deployment to Korea, all centered around humanitarian aid efforts. These experiences cemented her passion and dedication to the mission.
“Seeing something get built from start to finish; starting out as a grassy area and ending with a well-built building, is something I never thought I could accomplish before joining the Navy,” Lord reflected.
Her work overseas also left an impact.
“The local people and militaries were all so nice,” said Lord. “They left me with so much knowledge and experiences that I don’t think I could have gotten working state-side.”
Now, assigned to PWD Naples, Lord performs maintenance on the water treatment plant, one of the most essential operations in maintaining the base’s infrastructure and readiness.
“I am trying to get as much knowledge as possible, as much hands-on work I can do, and as many credentials as I can get while I’m here,” Lord said.
While Lord continues to grow her expertise, she’s also growing her sense of community. As the Seabee Association President, Lord works diligently to raise funds and organize events for her unit, including the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Festa Americana at Naval Support Activity Naples. These efforts culminated in the raising of funds for the upcoming Inaugural Seabee Ball, an event that honors the legacy of the Seabees and celebrates 83 years of exemplary service.
It's that spirit of service that Lord embodies and it’s why she earned Junior Sailor of the Year.
“I genuinely care about my job,” said Lord. “I think they see the hard work so it’s definitely nice to get recognized.”
As the Navy celebrates its 250th anniversary, Lord’s story exemplifies the resolve that has defined the Navy for centuries. She has molded herself into a model Seabee, embodying both the tradition of service and the desire to break new ground in her career.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2025 03:25 |
| Story ID: | 492226 |
| Location: | IT |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Pixels to Pipes: The Journey of Utilitiesman Second Class Destiny Lord, Public Works Naples Junior Sailor of the Year, by PO2 Matthew Nass, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
