Photo By Edvin Hernandez | Chief Yeoman Christina Rodriguez, Flag Writer to Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr.... read more read more
Chief Yeoman Christina Rodriguez was once a marine biology enthusiast, and having been raised by the coastal waters near Miami, Florida, it was only a matter of time before she inevitably developed an immense love for the ocean.
“I had an obsession with it,” she said. “Going to the aquarium is one of my favorite things to do, and really that includes anything that involves marine life. I actually chose to join the Navy because it was the closest military branch to the water, so I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
She volunteered for military service in the United States Navy in 2008 and was immediately stationed with Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet at Naval Base San Diego.
“Right out of boot camp, I was thrown into a three star command, which was a shock because everyone was at a significantly higher rank than me,” Rodriguez said. “Since I started my career as a Sailor, I have always been around senior officials, officers, and the overall flag world.”
As she became acquainted with life as a Sailor on a shore-based command, she was still looking forward to her sea time. That opportunity came in 2011 aboard USS Peleliu (LHA-5), a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship. Some of Rodriguez’s responsibilities and achievements onboard the ship included being the commanding officer’s yeoman; being selected for petty officer second class; and qualifying as a surface and aviation warfare specialist.
“On one of those deployments out West, we had the chance to see some really nice parts of the world – places I never thought I would have the chance to visit,” she said. “We also spent a lot of time by the Horn of Africa. I actually had the chance to be there for two months as part of a beach detachment in Djibouti. I was the liaison for the ship and the Sailors who were departing or newly incoming. I made some of my favorite memories on that deployment like helping local orphanages and bringing toys to the kids. It was a sweet moment.”
When the opportunity to become a flag writer was advertised, Rodriguez wasted little time to pounce on it. Flag writers provide superior executive level administrative support to senior leadership from across the Department of Defense. The position, which is similar to a highly skilled civilian administrative specialist, provides senior leaders with an expert in office management, correspondence, protocol, and administrative support. Rodriguez went through a rigorous and selective process before being officially accepted into the program in 2014. After completing the Navy Flag Writer qualification course in Meridian, Mississippi, her first assignment as a flag writer was with Commander, Submarine Group Nine in Bangor, Washington. Her other duty stations after that included a Pentagon tour with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Navy Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy and the Office of Legislative Affairs in Arlington, Virginia, as well as a stint with U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii. All of those experiences eventually led her to Strategic Systems Programs in Washington, D.C in 2019.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country in March 2020, all government organizations enforced strict social distancing protocols. For Rodriguez, it meant her promotion to Chief Yeoman would be different from previous celebrations.
“That was really hard because during chief season, the whole point is for all the selected chiefs to be together during initiation, but that obviously wasn’t possible,” she said. “So we had to do all the cohesiveness and bonding through Microsoft Teams and virtual calls. Although we didn’t have the chance to celebrate the comradery together, on a personal level, I was very proud of my accomplishment. As an enlisted service member in the Navy, making chief is a major milestone.”
Rodriguez not only made chief during an unprecedented time, but she also graduated with her bachelor’s degree in human resources (HR) management from Vincennes University. She did all of this while balancing crucial at-home responsibilities including ensuring her daughter was logged on to class every day during COVID and continuing to settle in to a new city. At the chiefs ceremony in Washington D.C., Rodriguez was pinned by her beloved mother and daughter.
“My daughter is my world,” she said. “She and I do everything together like watching horror movies, hiking to new places, or even baking. To have her and my mom pin me was a special moment in my career. As for my college studies, I chose HR because it was the most similar to the things I was doing in the Navy – things like onboarding and mentoring. So when I was picking a major, I wanted something I could use in the future when my Navy chapter comes to an end; and HR management complemented that goal most, so I chose to pursue that concentration.”
Now, after serving for more than a decade as a flag writer, Rodriguez said she has enjoyed helping senior Navy leaders like Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr., Director of Strategic Systems Programs, stay on track with their day-to-day responsibilities and top priorities.
“It is always busy,” she said. “I am the pre-organizer in a way, setting the tone for what Vice Adm. Wolfe is doing, where he’s going, making sure he (is) set and ready to go for all of his events and meetings, among more. For meetings, I am the one collecting the read ahead materials for him and ensuring he has all the essential information in front him to make informed decisions. I also support him having executive down time and ensuring he has time to take care of his personal actions too. It certainly takes some time management skills to balance everything and to make sure you are prioritizing everything appropriately for your senior leader. Luckily, we have incredible SSP support staff like the flag aides and executive assistants that help so much. It is so awesome to have a solid team to work with, including the two lieutenants that I work with – they are superstars. I would not be able to do my job well without their input, guidance, and teamwork.”
Her job directly supports the SSP mission by ensuring Vice Adm. Wolfe has the necessary information and resources to answer all matters involving sea based strategic deterrence and regional strike capabilities. This includes critical topics such as the development of the Trident D5LE2 missile, the non-nuclear hypersonic Conventional Prompt Strike, and the Nuclear Armed Sea Launched Cruise Missile. As the security environment continues to rapidly change, one of Rodriguez’s major responsibilities is coordinating mission-essential meetings for Vice Adm. Wolfe, including key discussions with senior Department of Navy leadership and stakeholders across the Department of Defense.
Rodriguez added that she appreciates the comradery within SSP and said it feels like a tight-knit family.
“SSP really is one of a kind,” she said. “The admiral values family time and always puts people first. He checks in with our staff frequently and makes sure we have time to dedicate to our loved ones. Even though we are supposed to be taking care of him, he always takes care of us too. That has been super comforting – to know that my co-workers are people that I can depend on outside of the uniform. I’ve never had that at a command and it is such a special thing to have here.”
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2025 12:41 |
| Story ID: | 497661 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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