Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Trevor Hale | 240605-N-HT008-1009 NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (June 5, 2024) Josienne De Pina Dias, from...... read more read more
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Walking the streets of Praia to her grandma’s house, Josienne De Pina Dias crossed through the busy marketplace in her town. The smells of fried foods, handmade candies and the competing aromas of the local restaurants never failed to bring joy to her face. The bustling marketplace eventually started to calm as De Pina Dias would get closer to her grandma’s home. Approaching the small house sandwiched between the larger buildings, she would smell her grandmother’s food before she arrived at the door.
Retail Specialist Seaman Josienne De Pina Dias gives us the story of her early years, growing up as a youth in Praia, Cabo Verde, where she spent the first 10 years of her life, and her transition into a member of the world’s greatest Navy.
Reminiscing about her family, she remembers her home, her grandmother’s cooking and the beautiful beaches.
“I really miss my grandma’s food, playing outside, the beaches and the parties with my family,” said De Pina Dias.
When she turned 10, she immigrated to Portugal with her family who moved there for better education and employment opportunities. De Pina Dias lived there for around six years, while her mother and younger brother moved to Paris, France. In Portugal, she focused on her education and taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to her by her parents. When she turned 16, she moved to Paris with her mother and younger brother.
“I missed my mom and little brother a lot,” said De Pina Dias. “I had only been able to see my younger brother a few times since he was born, so the opportunity to get to know him was really great.”
Upon arriving in Paris, she immediately enrolled into French language classes. During her time there, she had the opportunity to experience the culture, developing a fondness for the language, architecture and overall mood of the city, describing it as very calm and peaceful. After a year and a half, she moved back with her father, who was now living in Brockton, Massachusetts.
“The image of America outside the states is very different from what it is inside the states,” said De Pina Dias. “All I knew about it was what I saw in movies, so it was very exciting for me.”
De Pina Dias was encouraged to join the Navy by a former coworker who enlisted in the Cryptologic field. What really sold her on the idea was the education, housing and travel benefits. In Brockton, she finished high school, graduating in 2021 and joining the Navy in March of that year.
“I never saw myself joining the military,” said De Pina Dias. “I was terrified of it, then I started doing some research and thought maybe the Navy was the best option for me.”
De Pina Dias enlisted as a Retail Specialist on the recommendation from her recruiters. After graduating bootcamp, she went to Ascension School, where she learned how to maintain storerooms, operate ships laundry and ensure the crew’s needs are taken care of. After completion of her training, she was assigned to the USS Ralph Johnson, forward-deployed in Yokosuka, Japan.
“I feel like I was meant to be stationed here,” said De Pina Dias. “It was out of reality for me being in Japan. If anyone asked me before the Navy if I thought I would live in Japan, I would have said there was no chance at all.”
She learned how to excel at her job under the guidance of her mentor Retail Specialist 1st Class Edwin Johnson. He showed her around the ship during her first days aboard the Ralph Johnson, teaching her the best ways to meet the needs of the crew. He continues to act as a mentor to De Pina Dias, even after departing the ship.
“He was always there,” said De Pina Dias. “I still talk to him, and he gives me advice when I need it.”
De Pina Dias has experienced many new things during her time aboard the ship. She had the opportunity to do a swim call in the middle of the ocean, visit several new countries like Singapore and South Korea and receive the Blue Jacket of the Year award.
“It just happened,” said De Pina Dias. “Everything was so new and I was learning a lot. My leadership told me the day before the Blue Jacket of the Quarter board that I would be going. I was nervous that I would mess up, but I did my best and I won. That got me to the Blue Jacket of the Year board.”
She is coming up on her reenlistment window and plans on applying for shore duty orders to Spain so she can easily take trips to see her family and friends around the world.
“Spain is close to everyone I have to see,” said De Pina Dias. “My family is all over the world and it would be so much easier to visit them from Spain than anywhere else.”
From a little girl in Praia walking to her grandma’s house, to a Sailor finding her way around the world, Josienne De Pina Dias exemplifies the diverse origins and backgrounds of Sailors in the United States Navy.
Ralph Johnson is forward deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th fleet’s principal surface force.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2024 06:22 |
| Story ID: | 473472 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | PRAIA, CV |
| Hometown: | BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, From Cabo Verde to Japan and Everywhere in Between, by PO3 Trevor Hale, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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