Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Michelle Fink | 200514-N-IU965-1010 BREMERTON, Wash. (May 14, 2020) Electrician's Mate 3rd Class...... read more read more
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BREMERTON, Wash. – Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Alexis Randle, a native of Markham, Illinois, is serving as an electrician in the engineering department aboard Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). She reported to Vinson in November 2018 and is responsible for installing, repairing, and maintaining the ship’s electrical power generation systems and other energized equipment. The ship is currently undergoing an extensive maintenance period in Bremerton, Washington to make upgrades and prepare for future deployments.
Randle graduated from Thornwood High School in 2011. After earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Southern Illinois University in 2016, she enlisted in the Navy out of what she described as a longing for adventure and the desire to have a job outside the norm.
“I was really looking for something different that I could make a career,” said Randle.
The proudest accomplishment in her two-year career so far, Randle said, has been receiving a challenge coin from Vinson’s commanding officer, Capt. Matthew C. Paradise, in front of an audience of her peers and mentors in early March 2020. In the military, the bestowing of a coin from one service member to another, often by clasping the coin and shaking the recipient’s hand, is a time-honored tradition of expressing pride, gratitude, or admiration for a person’s deeds.
In Randle’s case, Paradise was commending her for doing the right thing in what could have been a very dangerous situation. While at work, she was asked to go into a panel and operate a circuit breaker, which is essentially a safety switch designed to de-energize electrical equipment if it has too much current flowing through it. Instead of doing what was easy and complying with the request, Randle did what her gut told her was right: she asked her supervisor.
As it turned out, Randle’s instincts were correct. Her supervisor told her that what she had been asked to do went against the Navy’s safety protocols because the panel was energized and she had not been wearing the proper protective equipment.
“If I would have done what he asked, either equipment could have been damaged or someone could have been hurt,” said Randle.
A few weeks later, Randle found out that her chain of command had submitted her name to receive a coin. She said that she felt elated to be standing on stage with her commanding officer and to be singled out for recognition from among so many.
“It was really cool,” said Randle. “Looking back, I am so happy that I asked the question instead of doing what I was told.”
Although she is far from home, Randle said that she feels the love from her friends and family in Illinois and that they help give her the strength to keep doing her job every day.
“My hometown and the Chicagoland area has shown me so much support throughout my short naval career,” said Randle. “I hope to continue to make them proud and to inspire young people.”
| Date Taken: | 08.03.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2020 17:29 |
| Story ID: | 374490 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Hometown: | MARKHAM, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Markham Native Serves Aboard USS Carl Vinson in Bremerton, WA, by PO1 Matthew Fink, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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