Student, teacher, artist, mineman: Meet USS Manchester Sailor

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Thomas | GUAM (June 25, 2023) – Mineman 2nd Class Devan McNatt, from Helena, Montana, gives a safety brief aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14), during Exercise Pacific Griffin 2023. Pacific Griffin is a biennial maritime exercise between the U.S. and Republic of Singapore to enhance combined maritime proficiency and strengthen relationships during two weeks of dynamic training evolutions ashore and at sea. Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. Manchester, part of Destroyer Squadron 7, is on a rotational deployment operating in the U.S. 7TH Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with Allies and partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Thomas)  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

07.27.2023

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Thomas 

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

A Helena, Montana, native. A student. A teacher. An artist. A Sailor. Mineman 2nd Class Devan McNatt is an operator for all deck equipment on the littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14) and is a key member of every boat deck evolution. She’s crucial to USS Manchester’s primary mission areas – mine warfare, seamanship, and beyond. A learner and a leader, she commits herself to expanding her skill sets beyond her assigned rate, progresses quickly in qualifications, and pays it forward through training and mentoring her shipmates.

McNatt joined the U.S. Navy in 2020. Before the Navy, she was a logistics manager at a competitive company warehouse in Helena, Montana. She enjoys fishing, four-wheeling, and hunting. Her mother and brother are Bering Sea fishermen working off the Bering Strait in Alaska. Inspired by their work at sea and with a desire to travel and explore the world, McNatt joined the U.S. Navy.

After completing Mineman Class "A" Technical School in Point Loma, California, she was selected for the LCS program.

"Minemen are everywhere on the ship," said McNatt. "Being a mineman gives the flexibility to do multiple jobs on the ship if you wish, if you take the time to become qualified for it."

Assignment to an optimally-manned LCS allows Sailors an opportunity to have cross-departmental qualifications and participation in many shipboard evolutions and many Sailors on LCS platforms have two or three different collateral duties or areas of responsibility assigned to them.. For example, McNatt is a part of every boat deck evolution, visual information collection exercises, manages logistics and maintenance of all deck department equipment, and is an assistant to the ship's safety officer.

“McNatt is a necessity for my department,” said Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jacob Harkness, the leading chief petty officer of the ship’s deck department. “She is a jack of all trades. She is always learning something, teaching something, accomplishing something significant. She is the glue that keeps deck department together.”

McNatt describes her time on the optimally-manned crew as challenging yet rewarding.

"It is tough being on an LCS; you are expected to do more than you usually would at [a given] rate and rank," said McNatt. "Everyone has to be ready to help anyone on the entire ship. If you do not know what you’re doing, it is okay to ask. Everybody is so willing to help.”

The tight-knit crew shared an enthusiasm not only for McNatt’s professional and operational performance, but also her impressive artwork that boosts morale and brings about camaraderie.

“She designed our beloved crew mascot,” said Deck Department Head Lt. Cmdr. Christina Danai. “No matter where you look throughout the ship, you are guaranteed to see a sticker on a water bottle or a Sailor wearing a t-shirt with one of Petty Officer McNatt’s drawings – she has positively impacted our crew with not only her diligence, hard work, and attention to detail, but also through her artwork.”

McNatt is presently serving on her first deployment in the Indo-Pacific region with the USS Manchester Gold Crew. Manchester is supporting the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative, a Secretary of Defense program that leverages Department of Defense assets to increase U.S. Coast Guard maritime security and maritime domain awareness support in Oceania through operations in remote U.S. exclusive economic zones and bilateral ship rider agreements with Pacific Island nations.

• Date Taken: 07.27.2023
• Date Posted: 08.17.2023 13:18
• Story ID: 450079
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US