A Marcellus native assigned to Strike Group Oceanography Team San Diego, serves the United States Navy at the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Lieutenant (junior grade) Mary Morocco says she joined the Navy two years ago for the opportunities that serving provides. “The Navy provided me with the opportunity to serve my country, pay for college, and receive […]
A Marcellus native assigned to Strike Group Oceanography Team San Diego, serves the United States Navy at the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.
Lieutenant (junior grade) Mary Morocco says she joined the Navy two years ago for the opportunities that serving provides.
“The Navy provided me with the opportunity to serve my country, pay for college, and receive leadership experience early in my career,” she says.
Morocco is a 2015 Manlius Pebble Hill School graduate and a 2019 U.S. Naval Academy graduate. According to Morocco, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in her hometown of Marcellus.
“Growing up in Marcellus, I learned the importance of taking personal initiative in the pursuit of personal goals, as well as the necessity of maintaining strong hometown ties,” says Morocco.
The U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process, and exploit environmental information to assist fleet and joint commanders in all warfare areas to make better decisions, based on assured environmental information, faster than the adversary.
Whether operating in the air, at sea, or underwater, Navy equipment, people, and decision-making all rely on the technical and tactical advice of Navy Meteorology and Oceanography officers.
Naval Oceanography encompasses a wide range of missions crucial to supporting today’s Naval fleet. They include oceanography, hydrography, meteorology, climate science, geospatial information science, astrometry, Earth orientation, and precise time.
Though there are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community, and careers, Morocco says she is most proud of earning a warfare qualification.
“I’m proud of earning my surface warfare pin and completing two deployments on board USS Theodore Roosevelt, where I also had the opportunity to run a bridge team as an Officer of the Deck.,” she says.
As a member of the Navy, Morocco, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs, and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.
“Serving in the Navy provides me with the opportunity to work with the amazing and hardworking people in an untouched environment,” says Morocco. “I have learned so much about myself that I know will benefit me both in and out of the navy for the rest of my life.
