Erwin native trains U.S. Navy future warfighters
Published 1:47 pm Tuesday, August 9, 2022
- Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Jacob Joy, Navy Office of Community Outreach
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By Rick Burke
Navy Office of Community Outreach
GREAT LAKES, Ill. — Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and this training requires highly-dedicated instructors.
At Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), this obligation falls upon hard-charging Navy professionals who train and mentor the Navy’s future warfighters.
Chief Petty Officer Dylan Hoyle, a native of Erwin, Tenn., plays an important role as an instructor at NETC, providing the fleet with sailors who possess the basic technical knowledge and skills necessary for naval service.
“I enjoy seeing sailors go from little to no knowledge of what we are teaching, and obtaining it all in the end,” said Hoyle. “It’s about basically instilling a level of confidence that they didn’t know that they had or thought was even possible.”
Instructors are experts in the subject matter they teach, and they provide cutting-edge technical training that transforms civilians into mission-ready sailors.
Hoyle, a 2012 Unicoi County High School graduate and 2022 graduate of East Coast Polytechnic Institute, joined the Navy nine years ago.
“For me, joining the Navy wasn’t about traveling or any of the benefits, it was to provide stability for my family,” said Hoyle.
According to Hoyle, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Erwin.
“Having a great level of self-reliance coming from a small town, gave me the confidence to not only succeed, but to also thrive in the Navy,” said Hoyle. “This garnered a hard-working, attentive mindset that I was able to use and mentor those around me and to help everyone succeed.”
NETC educates and trains those who serve, providing the tools and opportunities which enable life-long learning, professional and personal growth and development, ensuring fleet readiness and mission accomplishment.
Made up of six commands, NETC provides a continuum of professional education and training in support of Surface Navy requirements that prepare enlisted sailors and officers to serve at sea, providing apprentice and specialized skills training to 7,500 sailors a year.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Serving in the Navy means Hoyle is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Our Navy allows a constant presence throughout the world,” said Hoyle. “It’s crucial in maintaining a greater level of peace in varying societies.”
Hoyle and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is making the rank of chief petty officer, and obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering,” said Hoyle.
As Hoyle 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 means being able to find a greater version of yourself and using it to obtain personal and professional successes,” added Hoyle. “It means having a foundation for not only yourself, but your family. Lastly, it’s about being an example for those around you in hopes of motivating them the way the Navy has motivated me.”
