JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In May, the city of Miami held its inaugural 'Fleet Week,' and a sailor from Jacksonville was at the heart of it all.
Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Wesley Campbell takes First Coast News through his experience with Fleet Week Miami.
As they came aboard the USS Bataan, thousands of civilians got an up close look at what life is like on a ship for sailors in the Navy.
"This is kind of a big deal because it lets us reach out to younger future sailors," said Campbell.
Once a younger future sailor himself when he was a student at Frank H. Peterson Academies in Jacksonville, Campbell has spent the last four years in the Navy and recently came back from a 9-month deployment. Life moves fast when you're deployed.
"We assembled bombs, we assembled rockets, flares, just a bunch of different tasks dealing with the AO rating that we don't get to do in port," Campbell said.
Campbell and the Bataan were deployed with the 5th and 6th Fleets and had more than a couple of tense moments in the Middle East.
"There were a few times when FIACs, which are enemy small attack crafts, came close and we had to man scat and you think, 'Oh boy, this is real,'" said Campbell.
Fortunately, Campbell is safe and he's even using tuition assistance through the military to go towards a bachelor's degree in legal studies. He also has a message for his family back in Jacksonville.
"Thank y'all for the support and I love y'all," Campbell said.
We know that all of Campbell's friends and family in Jacksonville are proud of the work he's doing and we thank him for his service. If you have a Story of Service that you would like First Coast News to profile, send an email to storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.