Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Lieberknecht | 170621-N-AO823-001 PENSACOLA, Fla. (June 21, 2017) - Master Chief Culinary Specialist...... read more read more
PENSACOLA, Fla. (June 27, 2017) – The diversity team at Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC) recently invited LGBT Sailors from NMOTC and the Pensacola area to speak on-camera about their experiences in the Navy for a video in observance of LGBT Pride Month 2017.
The video can be viewed at https://www.dvidshub.net/video/536541/nmotc-celebrates-lgbt-month
“When I come to work, it’s to work,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Matthew Ivy from Naval Aviation Medical Institute, a detachment of NMOTC. “It’s not to be gay; it’s to be a Sailor.”
The video was attached to the homepage of NMOTC’s web-based document management and storage system shared by all of the command’s detachments and facilities across the country. Sailors in the video represented a wide range of diverse and experienced personnel. NMOTC members were able to view the video at their leisure and listen to the stories of the volunteer interviewees focusing on life before and after ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (DADT).
“Living under DADT for so long and being a young Sailor who had no role models to look at was difficult,” said Master Chief Culinary Specialist Dwayne D. Beebe-Franqui, Command Climate Specialist at Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training. “When it came to the point around the end of DADT, I was a Senior Chief and then eventually became Master Chief, I realized that I’m that role model.”
Feedback to the video was positive and wide-reaching, a goal of NMOTC’s diversity team whose responsibility stretches from coast to coast.
“I found the video very informative and it provides an excellent leadership perspective,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Stephanie Morlock, Independent Duty Corpsman instructor at Surface Warfare Medical Institute, a detachment of NMOTC located in San Diego. “It reminds us as leaders to show understanding and compassion for the struggles these sailors may face as well as our need to educate ourselves on how we (leaders) can assist them.”
NMOTC’s diversity team holds events every month to celebrate the unique make-up of the command and the Navy.
“By having a diverse understanding of our shipmates and their experiences, it helps define who we are as individuals,” said Navy Counselor 2nd Class Timothy Puzan, NMOTC’s diversity officer.
NMOTC and its detachments are part of the Navy Medicine team, a global health care network of Navy medical professionals around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ships, in the air, under the sea, and on the battlefield.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.05.2017 14:52 |
| Story ID: | 240131 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 437 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NMOTC Celebrates LGBT Month, by PO1 Michael Lieberknecht, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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