Road to Redemption

CA, UNITED STATES

03.05.2019

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Somers Steelman    

Navy Public Affairs Support Element Detachment Hawaii

She glared at her phone, knowing any minute that her alarm would go off and she would have to get out of bed. It didn't matter that she was up all night, racking her brain with "what if's" or "I should have's."

None of that mattered now. All that mattered was that she had to face the repercussions of her choices.

Seaman Elizabeth Heck and her fellow classmates attending Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) "A" school at Presido's Defense Language Institute, located in Monterey, California, were preparing for an open captain's mast – a disciplinary forum in front of the entire command.

As she began buttoning her blues, Heck reflected on what brought her to that moment. "I can't believe it's coming down to this," she said.

One month earlier, Heck and her friends were studying modern standard Arabic as part of an 18-month course to become cryptologic technicians.

“After six months of demanding work and studying, we wanted to blow off some steam.” Said Heck “we had a small get together and a few drinks.”

Unfortunately, not everyone that attended the party was of legal drinking age. When they returned to the barracks they were confronted by the command duty officer. The CDO initially challenged the group for breaking curfew, but after a few minutes he suspected that the students had been drinking.

Soon after, an investigation began and the floodgates opened.

The command master chief led the investigation and was determined to get to the bottom of who was there and what happened. One by one, everyone who had been at the party that night had been identified. After a month of inquiries, six students were identified for disciplinary review board, executive officer's inquiry, and finally captain’s mast.

Heck finished buttoning her blues and glanced up nervously at the mirror. She pondered the consequences of her actions and told herself, "It won't be that bad; I am top of the class and this is my first offense."

“I have always been a great student, I am sure my instructors will speak highly of me and support me in front of the CO.” But her instructors would never get the chance.

Heck and her other classmates were found guilty of breaking the following articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: article 90, willfully disobeying the orders of a superior commissioned officer; article 92, failure to obey a rule or regulation; and article 107, making false statements.

Heck was awarded reduction of rank to Seaman Recruit, 30 days restriction, and was docked half-month's pay. In addition, she was immediately sent to serve in the fleet without the opportunity to finish her apprentice school, or "A" school. Her chance of becoming a CT was now finished.

"I never thought one mistake could change my life so much, or so fast," she said. "I joined the Navy to be a CT, and suddenly I was on my way to be a deck Seaman. I thought my career was over."

One month later, Heck arrived in San Diego for her first duty assignment, the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), to start her new life as a deck seaman. With no deck watch qualifications and no idea what "ship life" was all about, Heck joined the rest of the crew and went out to sea just a few days after her arrival.

Like all deck seamen, she stood watch almost every night, learning how to pilot the ship's helm and how to stand a proper lookout. Although she was no longer pursuing her dream as a CT, she never gave up on her naval career. She would often think of what her recruiter told her just before leaving for "boot camp."

"The Navy will not give you what you want, only what you deserve," she told herself day after day.

"She always committed herself to the task at hand," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class John Hardy, assigned to America. "Before we knew it, she became one of the most qualified junior Sailors in the department."

As the days and weeks continued to pass, Heck's work ethic didn't go unnoticed.

"She is one of the most intelligent and driven Sailor's to ever work under me," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Ronald Latimer, Heck's supervisor on America.

Because of her work ethic and drive, Heck was soon given the responsibility of Deck department's training petty officer. She was tasked with overseeing the training binders of over 100 deck seamen and boatswain’s mates, ensuring they were enrolled in schools and tracking the progress of all of their personal qualifications.

"I could assign her with work above her pay grade and trust in her ability to complete it," said Latimer. "Her ability to prioritize which Sailors needed what training and when, helped increase the number of qualified Sailors within the department."

Heck, knew that when it came time to start applying for ratings and schools, her past discrepancies could severely hurt her chances. She needed to set herself apart from her peers. That meant getting a good evaluation and a warfare pin.

Her hard work as America's deck department's training petty officer had already cemented her an early promotion for her upcoming evaluation. All that was left was to devote herself to the enlisted surface warfare specialist program.

"When Sailors make mistakes like Heck, they often struggle to move past it, and it can define their careers," said Senior Chief Boatswain's Mate Leonard Miller, America's deck department leading chief petty officer. "It's rare to see a Sailor bounce back with her level of determination and tenacity; in fact it's almost intimidating."

Within four months, she completed all the necessary training and walk-throughs.

Soon after, she completed a 100-question written test and two oral boards to qualify as an enlisted surface warfare specialist.

With an early promotion on her evaluation and her completion of the ESWS program, Heck managed to set herself apart from her fellow junior Sailors and applied for Navy information system technician.

Heck was once again called to stand in front of the entire command. This time she would be rewarded. The crew gathered for an awards ceremony in the ship's hangar bay where she was pinned an enlisted surface warfare specialist in front of the entire crew.

Immediately following the ceremony, she was given more good news. Heck was presented with something that she had been working toward all along: a second chance. Speechless and unable to hold back her tears of joy, she learned she was accepted to attend IT "A" school in Pensacola, Florida.

"I couldn't speak; I couldn't stop crying," Heck said. "For everything I worked so hard for to happen all at once, it was almost too good to be true."

Heck only had a few short months before she left for IT school, instead of bidding her time until her detachment she decided to work towards earning her other warfare pins. Within two months, Heck qualified as both an enlisted aviation warfare specialist and an enlisted information warfare specialist, becoming the first non-petty officer to complete all three of America's warfare programs.

"I've spent so many long hours after work, going around to every department asking for training or help," Heck said. "By the time I finished, I not only had a better understanding of USS America, but also of her crew."

"She could have coasted on her previous accomplishments and relaxed until the day she left, but she didn't," said Miller.

Heck came to America after being expelled from school and stripped of her rank. Through hard work and determination, she left a well-accomplished Sailor.

"I came to the America expecting the worst, but looking back, it was one of the best experiences I ever had," said Heck. "It was with the support of her crew that I was able to get a fresh start, and for that, I will always be grateful."

"Everyone makes mistakes. It is what we do after those mistakes that defines us as Sailors and tells our story," said America's Command Master Chief Kenneth W. Robertson.

Three years after her time on the America, today Heck is in route to be an instructor at the IT apprentice school at Cory Station in Pensacola, Florida.

• Date Taken: 03.05.2019
• Date Posted: 03.05.2019 18:59
• Story ID: 313064
• Location: CA, US