Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Alfredo Marron | PACIFIC OCEAN (July 4, 2025) Hospitalman Kevontae Washington, a food service assistant...... read more read more
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After a 12-and-a-half-hour shift, he sets aside the squeegee and wipes the sweat off his brow. With a sigh of relief, this young man is grateful the day is finally over.
Walking through the double doors leading into the “Rose City Bistro,” the galley aboard the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), he is greeted by loud music and laughter from a small crowd. A good sign that the work for the day is done.
As he walks over to the group, he reflects on how lucky he is to have his team by his side.
Hospitalman Kevontae Washington, assigned to Comfort, is a 26-year-old native of Waldorf, Maryland. Before joining the Navy, he worked in a variety of fields. After earning a certificate in automotive maintenance, he then changed his career path and became a fireman for a local fire department in Virginia.
“Becoming a firefighter was something I had dreamt of since I was a child,” said Washington.
After a year of working at the Fire Department of Alexandria in Alexandria, Maryland, Washington’s career as a firefighter hit a standstill without the proper education.
Sailors join the Navy for a variety of reasons – service to country, travel the world, financial stability, and in Washington’s case – education. In 2023, he decided to enlist into the United States Navy for the educational benefits and because every Sailors is trained in shipboard firefighting.
When Washington joined, the explosive ordinance disposal technician rate was his top choice. His mother had other plans though, pushing him toward the medical field as a hospital corpsman (HM). HMs are the Navy’s specialized technicians who assist doctors and nurses in various medical situations. Not only is it one of the most decorated rates in the Navy, it is also one of the first established and most respected across the Department of the Navy.
“What really convinced me to get into the medical field was when my best friend, who was paralyzed from the neck down, passed away,” said Washington. “That was two years ago, right before I enlisted. It weighed on me a lot. It still does, but I don’t let it ruin me.”
Today, Washington works in the laboratory department at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Virginia and is currently underway aboard Comfort for Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25).
CP25 is a humanitarian mission held annually that aims to foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships, and encourage the establishment of new partnerships in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Through partner-led medical, veterinary, band, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief engagements, CP25 also enhances proficiency and improves interoperability between participating nations and forces.
During CP25, Washington is temporarily assigned to the galley as a food service assistant (FSA) team lead. FSA, also known as "cranking," helps indoctrinate a Sailor to their ship. By working in the galley, where most Sailors visit three times a day for meals, they become well acquainted with the ship’s crew. Cranking also helps prepare Sailors for long, rigorous days while on deployment. An FSA member’s responsibilities in the galley includes cleaning dishes, wiping down tables and floors, taking out trash, and restocking supplies.
“Being part of FSA wasn’t a part of my plans,” said Washington. “Back at the clinic I did phlebotomy, but as an FSA member you drop your rank, title and are just another Sailor. You have to give up what you joined for to serve others, and it is a rewarding experience.”
Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Justin Jenkins, Washington’s supervisor, views him as his go-to person to get the job done.
“As a team lead, you are an overall supervisor,” said Jenkins. “Washington is in charge of the deep sinks, the scullery, attendance, delegating the tasking for the day, and ensuring everything is done by the end of the day.”
At first, Washington was hesitant about the responsibility placed on him by Jenkins and just wanted to be a “grunt.” He said just because you want something, doesn’t mean you are going to get it. But despite his initial hesitation, he decided he was going to give it his all and be the best he could for those on his team.
“They made me team lead because of my social skills,” said Washington. “Understanding people is important in the role of a leader. I work with a lot of people that come right out of high school, who don’t understand life in the Navy is different, and they have to do things they don’t want to do, things outside of their normal job as a hospital corpsman.”
Washington’s philosophy for being an effective leader is having a positive attitude, connecting with others, being on time, working hard and setting realistic goals for yourself and your team. He believes that being a positive force that brightens someone else’s day – even in the smallest way – can be one of the most powerful thing a person can do.
“I try to do everything within my efforts to boost the team’s morale,” said Washington. “I usually have speakers all over playing music that everyone can enjoy and I try to bring the party wherever I go. The mess deck has a huge influence on the ship’s overall morale. It starts with us.”
FSAs are an integral part of the ship and mission. Their hard work and long days on the mess decks influence the health and well-being of the ship’s crew, medical personnel and others whom make the CP25 mission possible – even feeding the patients who stay on the ship for medical care.
“The extra food we make here is being donated to the countries we help and isn’t going to waste,” said Washington. “Though we don’t get to work with the patients personally or aren’t always able to directly see the impact we have, it still helps to know that we’re giving to others. That’s why this mission is so important to me."
Washington’s experiences in the Navy have now shifted his plans for the future in a slightly new direction. After being exposed to the opportunities in the medical field as a corpsman, he now aspires to become a commissioned officer in the Navy reserves. He hopes to become a neurologist and help those with similar conditions to his best friend.
“I believe that he would be proud of me for not quitting and would tell me to keep going, despite how tired I might be,” said Washington.
Though his career goals in the Navy have shifted, his reasons to join and dreams from the start still stand strong – firefighting. Washington’s goal is to pursue and complete his degree by the end of his enlisted contract. From there, he plans to put in a commission package to become a naval reserve officer as neurologist. In the civilian sector, he aims to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter and continuing to make a difference in the lives of others.
Continuing Promise 2025 is the 16th iteration of the U.S. 4th Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command-led mission since 2007, which aims to foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and form new partnerships between host nations, non-federal entities, and international organizations.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2025 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 543601 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From Medical Care to Kitchen Flare CP25, by PO2 Alfredo Marron, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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