SAN DIEGO - Airman Recruit Abdoul Amadou, a native of Beltsville, Maryland, serves aboard a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California.
Amadou joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Amadou serves as an aviation boatswain's mate (fuel) aboard USS Makin Island.
“I joined the Navy to serve and be a part of my new country,” said Amadou. "I left Togo on May 28, 2021, because I won the lottery, which allowed me to come to America."
Growing up in Togo, Amadou moved to Beltsville and graduated from Lycee Basar High School in 2015.
Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Beltsville.
“My hometown taught me to make myself better and seek better opportunities,” said Amadou. "I worked in Beltsville and saw a lot of people's ambition when starting businesses, which inspired me to join the Navy."
These lessons have helped Amadou while serving aboard USS Makin Island.
Makin Island is an amphibious assault ship. According to Navy officials, these types of warships embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.
Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.
As a member of the Navy, Amadou is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is important to national defense because it is a strong foundation and show of force in its representation of the best people of its country,” said Amadou.
With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
Amadou and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest accomplishment in the Navy is graduating from boot camp and coming to USS Makin Island as a sailor,” said Amadou. "I had never seen a large ship like that. People in "A" school told me about the size of our ships, but the first time I saw it, I lost myself because I had never seen anything like it."
As Amadou 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 is an important thing for me because my family is proud of me which makes me proud,” said Amadou.
Amadou is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my family and my friends for giving me good advice and for supporting me when I came here,” added Amadou. "I would also like to thank my uncle, Gbati Kakaye, and my aunt, Fadila Kakaye, for giving me everything when I moved here for those years. I also want to thank my friend, Nabine Basile, who joined the Navy first and told me to speak to a recruiter about the benefits of joining the Navy."
Comments