JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Russell is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile destroyer, USS Chung-Hoon.

The Huntsville native serving at Pearl Harbor is a 2009 Huntsville High School graduate and earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Russell works as a Navy operations specialist aboard the forward-deployed, guided-missile destroyer in the Arleigh Burke-class. Russell is responsible for searching for, tracking and identifying other ships and aircraft in the vicinity of his ship.

Approximately 30 officers and 300 enlisted men and women compose the USS Chung-Hoon’s company.

Russell credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Huntsville. “My hometown taught me the values of responsibility and resiliency,” Russell said. “I apply those lessons every day in the Navy, and I will continue to use these values to better my life.”

Russell is stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to ‘Gateway to the Pacific’ in defense circles. His work helps America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices.

Russell takes the most pride in graduating from boot camp and finishing in the top three during his operational specialist school. “I’m also very proud of receiving my Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Qualification. Obtaining this qualification took months of hard work, sleepless days and a ton of studying,” Russell said.

“Serving the Navy means I get to travel the world and experience things I never thought possible and see different cultures. That is one of the reasons I joined this prestigious branch,” Russell said.

“It is also rewarding to meet people who are willing to carry out the same mission as myself, which played an important role in my decision to join the Navy. We are able to fight the fight with the United States of America behind us … there’s no better feeling than that,” Russell said.

The Media Outreach Department with the Navy Office of Community Outreach in Millington, Tenn. produces these profiles. Lt. Courtney Prizer researched this article. For more information, visit outreach.navy.mil, Facebook/Navy Outreach, Twitter @NavyOutreach or Instagram @US_Navy_Outreach.