Photo By Brock Vergakis | NORFOLK, Virginia -- Petty Officer 1st Class Ivan Godinez, a boatswain's mate from...... read more read more
By Brock Vergakis, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. – Local CBS affiliate WTKR-TV (Channel 3) recognized the port operations department at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk as their “Military Unit of the Month” for June as a way to educate Hampton Roads viewers on how the Navy prepares for hurricanes at the world’s largest naval installation.
Petty Officer 1st Class Ivan Godinez, a boatswain’s mate from Lawrenceville, Georgia, conducted multiple live interviews from NAVSTA Norfolk’s waterfront piers throughout the morning of June 26 as part of the station’s feature.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and Godinez described how the Navy safely secures some ships to the installation’s double-decker piers with extra mooring lines ahead of storms, while other ships go out to sea to stay out of harm’s way.
“These double-decker piers, they’re built to withstand the hurricane winds, so the ships that are unable to sail or get underway, we tie them up with additional heavy-weather mooring lines so that they’re safely moored and reduce risk of damage,” he said. “That takes hours. Multiple hours, depending on the size of the ship as well, we’re throwing on additional lines – bigger than they’re used to.”
The port operations department at NAVSTA Norfolk oversees 4.1 miles of waterfront, the movement of about 60 ships that are homeported there and $31.5 million worth of waterborne assets, such as fenders and barges, among other things. Godinez is the leading petty officer for the department’s dock master division and oversees 52 Sailors.
Those Sailors are responsible for helping coordinate the safe movement of dozens of ships with harbor pilots, disconnecting vessels from power on shore and clearing piers of equipment that could cause damage during a storm.
Godinez said it was an honor to showcase the work his Sailors do on television and during a Facebook Live broadcast with WTKR-TV reporter Anthony Sabella.
“I take tremendous pride in what I do. I enjoy my job. I enjoy the Navy. It's given everything I have to my family and more,” Godinez said following his television appearances. “And to have the opportunity to represent and show a positive factor, and truly describe what we're able to do out here, I jumped on it quickly.”
Last year, Godinez served aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Arlington (LPD 24) when it relocated from a single-decker pier to a double-decker pier because Hurricane Dorian was threatening the Virginia coast. He said his Sailors worked in the evening for 7 hours to prepare and secure the ship to withstand the storm.
“It was very excruciating, very vigorous, very demanding, but also very rewarding due to the fact that a multi-billion dollar vessel was safely docked under my charge and the people that are with me,” he said after the television segment ended. “I love doing what I do.”
Godinez joined the Navy after working as a pharmacy shift manager for a year following graduation in 2011 from Central Gwinnett High School in in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He said he joined the military because he wanted to provide a better life for his wife and daughter, who was born when he was still in school.
“I just wanted to give my wife and my daughter more than what I had at the time,” he said. “And I saw the military fit to do so, which it has. It’s been nothing but tremendous success and given my family everything that I could possibly have that they need.”
Godinez now has three children, ages 9, 4 and 1. His wife Jennifer joined the Navy in 2018 and has already advanced to become a petty officer second class. He said while being part of a dual-military family can present some challenges, he’s grateful for the opportunities the Navy has provided and has cared for his family.
“My schedule is very unstable … hers is more fixed, but when it's time to go home every day, it's the same thing – work all day, work all night – come home and then take care of the kids and make sure that they're taken care of and provided for,” he said. “The responsibilities that come as a parent, it is challenging, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't change that for the world.”
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2020 12:50 |
| Story ID: | 373431 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 607 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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