Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hunter Harwell, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Key Points
- Petty Officer 3rd Class Madison Herrera from Apopka serves as a yeoman with the Atlantic Fleet Seabees at NCBC in Gulfport, Mississippi.
- Herrera joined the Navy three years ago to pursue a career in nursing or ultrasound technology after graduating high school in 2022.
- She completed tactical and weapons training at Expeditionary Combat School in 2023 and managed administrative duties solo at her command for a time.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Madison Herrera, an Apopka native, is serving at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) in Gulfport, Miss.
“Serving in the Navy means we have one common goal, which is to serve our country,” Herrera said in a U.S. Navy press release. “I would like to thank my mom, Misty Stevenson, for her continuous support.”
Herrera graduated from Lake Brantley High School in 2022 and joined the Navy three years ago.
“I joined the Navy for college,” Herrera said. “I wanted to go into nursing or be an ultrasound technician.”
Herrera currently serves as a yeoman for the Atlantic Fleet Seabees, which “provide a wide range of construction in support of operating forces, including roads, bridges, bunkers, airfields and logistics bases,” according to Ensign Han Fiori-Puyu in the release. Seabees also provide support for disaster relief, complete civic action projects, and “provide anti-terrorism and force protection for personnel and construction projects.”
Herrera completed additional training at the Expeditionary Combat School in 2023, where she “learned about security, tactical and weapons proficiency skills,” according to her statement in the release. She also took pride in being “the only sailor taking care of the administrative side here in my command for a while.”
“Whether serving in the construction force or in a supporting role, the sailors of NCBC Gulfport personify the ‘Can Do’ attitude of Seabees and are ready to serve and support warfighters globally,” Fiori-Puyu said.
