PORT HUENEME, Calif. -- Petty Officer 1st Class Arcy Swopes, a native Topeka, Kan., assigned to the Seabees of the 9th Naval Construction Regiment is currently serving at Port Hueneme, Calif., in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Swopes attended Topeka High School and is the son of Prinest and Beatrice Swopes, who reside in Topeka, Ks.
Swopes and the Seabees in his regiment departed from their homeport of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to complete a six-month deployment to Port Hueneme.
Within the regiment, Swopes works with project support, and helps keep the homeport Seabee's gainfully employed through out the pacific fleet.
Swopes joined the Navy in 1982 right out of high school and served three years aboard the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower where he completed two Mediterranean deployments.
He joined the Navy Reserve and served there for another seven years on seven different Fast Frigates. In 1992 Swopes joined local #226 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and is still their today.
In 2003 Swopes deployed with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15 (NMCB) on a six month tour to Iraq. In 2006 he deployed again with 9NCR to Fallujah, Iraq.
Currently employed with BNSF Railroad, Swopes, says he feels proud to be part of a military event that is making history.
"I have traveled the world and seen and done some amazing things that I might have not been able to do if I had not took the opportunity to serve my country to the best of my abilities," said Swopes. "The goodness of God will not take you where the grace of God can not keep you. [I have been everywhere]."
Seabees bring a broad range of technical and military skills which, in combination, provide a unique capability to the engineering mission. In addition to construction, these essential capabilities include robust organic support functions such as logistics, maintenance and communications.