Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class David Negron | U.S. Navy Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Oscar Roberts, left, from Kansas City, Mo., and...... read more read more
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PACIFIC OCEAN - Heat has been an annoying, ever-present antagonist since the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) left for deployment. It exists everywhere around and within the ship. Sleeping with curtains open in berthings has become a common practice, and taking multiple showers a day has become routine for many Sailors.
Thankfully, air conditioning has been restored to most of the ship, but some Sailors aboard don’t know that the engineering department, namely the auxiliaries division (also known as A-gang), are the unsung heroes and the reason people can sleep at night without sweating through their pajamas. One particularly tall engineer in the department literally stands out among his peers.
At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Oscar Roberts may seem intimidating, but appearances can be deceiving. Roberts is the leading petty officer for A-gang and was selected as Nimitz’s 2022 Senior Sailor of the Year. Although Roberts has accomplished much during his time aboard, the wind and following seas of life have not always been fair.
Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Roberts joined the United States Navy in April 2005 with a contract to become a machinist’s mate (nuclear). After boot camp, he reported to Nuclear Power School to go through the nuke pipeline. He reported to his first ship, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), in September 2007. He left the Enterprise after more than six years aboard to become an instructor back at Nuclear Power School, where he was assigned until he received orders to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Roberts reported to Nimitz in May 2017, where he worked in the reactor department for a year and half. His career aboard Nimitz up until that point had been flourishing. He was in the process of submitting a package to commission as a limited duty officer and had multiple “early promote” evaluations.
Surprisingly, Roberts went to captain’s mast in November 2018. Reduction in rank and the loss of his nuclear Navy enlisted classification (NEC) were the ultimate punishments that were awarded to him.
After spending all of his career working in reactor department, Roberts was moved to engineering, auxiliaries.
“Going from the top and having good prospects for advancement and having it all get derailed was a big shock and change,” said Roberts.
Understandably, Roberts went through a hard time adjusting to an entirely new work environment and routine. He even considered ending his naval career over the event.
“All I wanted to do was get out of the Navy and do literally anything else. I felt like I had been given up on,” said Roberts. “I was almost at my 14-year point, and I basically felt like my career was over.”
During this time, Nimitz was in dry-dock for a planned incremental availability to prepare for the upcoming 2020 deployment. Roberts used this time to keep his mind and his hands busy, as there was a lot of work to be done. For months on end, his division stayed late every day to ensure everything was done.
“If it wasn’t for that period,” Roberts said, “I may not have ever actually turned around.”
The hard work was familiar to Roberts, who was starting to feel more like himself every day. He began getting the qualifications he needed and began to feel at home in A-gang.
Having gone through so much in his career and life, Roberts saw himself as a guide to his peers.
“I started realizing that a lot of junior Sailors that we had in engineering were kind of going through some of the things that I went through being junior in reactor,” said Roberts. “There were a lot of guys coming in that I thought I could be a mentor to – like a big brother.”
Roberts found it easy to relate to the younger Sailors, remembering what it was like for him at the beginning.
“When I first got to my first ship, I had a few things happen in my past that led to me having a bit of a bad attitude,” said Roberts. “It was something I struggled with and had to overcome my first several years out at sea.”
By the time 2020 rolled around, Roberts had found his groove again. He was a prominent and well-liked figure in his department, not to mention a subject matter expert on all the systems that his division owns throughout the ship.
In between work-ups and deployment, a huge wrench was thrown into everyone’s plans. COVID-19 was spreading throughout the United States and the Navy.
The subsequent deployment turned into the infamous “COVID Cruise,” the longest Nimitz deployment at 11 months, seven days, with only one port call in Guam. Nimitz was also scheduled to participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) that year, a multi-nation naval exercise, but that too was cancelled.
“Deployments are a lot easier for me than other people because I get in a routine,” said Roberts. “I was just fine, but spirits were pretty bad all around the ship.”
Roberts saw this not only as a disappointment, but as an opportunity to help those around him who were struggling during this time of adversity.
“When we’re strong, we should help others that are weak,” said Roberts. “Just like if we’re weak, others that are strong should help us.”
Deployment ended, and Nimitz went into another planned incremental availability. The entire time, Roberts had been fighting to get his rank restored. In April 2021, he was meritoriously promoted back to petty officer first class.
“Getting my rank back was a big milestone,” said Roberts, “because at this point, I had been in for 15 years and 10 months.”
The high-year tenure was 16 years at the time of his restoration, which meant the timing was perfect.
“It was pretty much, I make rank again within the year,” said Roberts, “or I have to get high-year tenured out of the Navy.”
In between the last deployment and this current one, Roberts has been through trial and tribulation, not only at work, but personally as well. He separated and went through a divorce with his wife of 7 years. He also spent months away from home and his two little boys, 5 and 7, both in Kansas City.
Hard work and commitment to bettering himself and others has helped Roberts get to where he stands today.
“I’ve always done my best to get off any preconceived notions and just work my butt off every single day,” said Roberts. “I don’t do anything for recognition. I just do what I can to try to make everyone’s life better.”
Roberts shows that it’s possible to overcome difficulties in life and be the best version of yourself that you can be. Captain’s mast doesn’t have to be the end of anyone’s naval career if they are willing to put in the effort to change.
“The majority of people who go to NJP (non-judicial punishment) are good people,” said Roberts. “Most people just make a mistake.”
Making mistakes is normal and an opportunity to learn how to be better next time.
“No matter what you do negative,” said Roberts, “if you just keep doing your job and keep your nose to the grind, eventually that perception just completely washes away.”
The future looks bright for Roberts, who plans on leaving Nimitz near the end of deployment to be an “A” school instructor at Great Lakes and hopes to apply to commission as a warrant officer.
“I’m excited to go be an instructor,” said Roberts. “I like being able to work with a generation of younger people that I can have an influence on.”
Obtaining an electrical engineering undergraduate degree is also in the plans that Roberts has while ashore, along with some rest and recovery.
“I’ve had a lot of time at sea, and I need some time to recuperate,” said Roberts, “in some ways my body, in some ways mentally.”
| Date Taken: | 01.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2023 10:48 |
| Story ID: | 460657 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Wrench in the Works, by PO2 Mykala Keckeisen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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