Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Natalia Murillo | CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti – U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Colin...... read more read more
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In short, he makes us all look good.
For almost six months now, I have seen my teammate, Colin, through a one-inch crack between two large computer monitors. When he is not on assignment, he sits quietly at his desk punching away. Every day, he sees Camp Lemonnier’s impact from many angles. Sometimes he makes a two-dimensional graphic, other times he looks through a tiny photo camera viewfinder. U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist Colin Sens shares the view from the austere environment at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), more than 8,000 miles from home.
With Sens’ help, the CLDJ message has reached ten countries and top outlets such as The Daily Times and CBS News. His most impressive audience during this deployment? The White House.
“In December I put together a presentation to inform President Biden’s Administration about CLDJ,” said Sens, calmly, of course.
This request came in on a Friday afternoon…and was a hot item. Since he works with these elements on a daily basis and keeps it organized, he was get it done in one day. This is above and beyond the expectation from then, a 3rd Class Petty Officer in the Navy.
It was no surprise to me that he made 2nd Class Petty Officer on his first attempt.
As Sens’ supervisor, I nominated him for Hero in the Spotlight because he never fails to impress. His designs are storytelling and make an impact. He is reliable and he is humble in his accomplishments. He has surprised me time and time again with so many successes on his first deployment.
Sens, a third-generation Sailor with a family history of wartime service, proudly carries on his family tradition. His grandfather, Edward, who passed away when Sens was twelve, served as a Signalman during WWII. His father, Patrick J., served with the Navy during the Vietnam War.
“There’s a strong sense of service that runs throughout my family, and I think that every single member of my family has inspired me to serve in some way,” said Sens.
CLDJ isn’t the only beneficiary of Sens’ Service. He has featured many of our fellow service members in hometown hero articles and photos, creating a connection for the folks back in the U.S.
“I feel like the work I do is vital to the quality of life of people on base and communicates to the general public why we are at Camp Lemonnier,” added Sens.
Sens has accomplished many successes for the base’s operations and our office. He has also met personal goals, despite arriving and leaving here with COVID protocol in place and missing many people and events in New Orleans, particularly his girlfriend, Laura.
“Laura is the ‘behind the scenes’ person that has helped me grow as an individual and been a constant during my deployment,” said Sens. “I’m looking forward to the moment when I get home and can look the people in the eye that have supported me in my life and that have helped me to get to this point and to hug them and thank them. The ultimate accomplishment will be when I can see the pride and happiness in their eyes.”
Sens has many accolades to celebrate with Laura and his friends and family upon his return:
• Letter of Appreciation from Capt. Kyle Schuman, commanding officer, CLDJ
• Flag Letter of Commendation from Rear Admiral Scott Gray, commander, EURAFCENT - Dorie Miller Galley Beautification and Restoration Graphics Artist
• Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for a successful tour here
• 12 hours of college courses through University of Maryland Global Campus
In addition, Sens was coined three times and was submitted for Blue Jacket of the Quarter. To his fellow CLDJ service members, his legacy is that he designed the command morale patch which is now on order for all hands.
The CLDJ Public Affairs team is proud to support Sens in all of this.
“I truly think it takes a community of people for individuals to be successful,” said Sens. “All of us work as a team to accomplish tasks and CLDJ’s mission.”
Camp Lemonnier’s mission is to enable U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where and when they are needed to ensure security in Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia.
As the camp’s Public Affairs Office’s Assistant Lead Petty Officer, my job has been less difficult because Sens is disciplined and knowledgeable. I am able to focus on my work because he requires minimal supervision. He has also been a big help to the office atmosphere because he often tidies up and keeps the space in order, while playing some sort of college folk rock. He takes pride in our office.
Sens is happy that he volunteered to come to Camp Lemonnier. He has the experience to tell others of the importance of a deployment for a Navy career.
“I’ve been able to enhance my abilities as a Mass Communications Specialist and I’ve met some pretty remarkable people along the way,” said Sens. “This journey has allowed me to serve with some great Sailors, many who are Reservists. They motivated me to be a better communicator, a better Sailor, and a better person. I'm thankful for the opportunities.”
The storyteller’s story isn’t often told. Seeing Sens’ story of his first deployment for myself, I knew I needed to tell it.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2021 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 387996 |
| Location: | CAMP LEMONNIER, DJ |
| Web Views: | 585 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, New Orleans Sailor Honored as Camp Lemonnier’s Hero in the Spotlight, by PO1 Natalia Murillo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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