Here is one of those Colorado Springs stories that makes the world feel very small for a minute.
Petty Officer Garner Baker, a Colorado Springs native and 2023 William J. Palmer High School graduate, is serving aboard the USS Jason Dunham, a U.S. Navy destroyer based out of Mayport, Florida.
Baker joined the Navy three years ago and now serves as a fire controlman working with the ship’s AEGIS combat system.
He says the work ethic started here in Colorado Springs
In an interview released by the Navy Office of Community Outreach, Baker said growing up taught him the value of working hard. He described juggling different jobs, hunting and helping his dad before joining the Navy.
Military service was also already part of his family story. Baker said joining the Navy felt like carrying on a family tradition.
The USS Jason Dunham has more than 300 sailors aboard
The USS Jason Dunham is a guided-missile destroyer designed for multiple missions at sea. According to Navy officials, more than 300 sailors serve aboard the ship in jobs ranging from engineering and maintenance to weapons and combat systems.
Baker told Navy Outreach he is especially proud of being selected for promotion to petty officer second class because it gives him a chance to help junior sailors coming up behind him.
For a kid who graduated from Palmer just a few years ago, that is a pretty big jump from downtown Colorado Springs to a Navy destroyer operating out of Florida.
Source and photo: U.S. Navy Office of Community Outreach.
