Photo By Emily McCamy | 250822-N-LY941-1005 GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Aug. 22, 2025) - Hospitalman Apprentice...... read more read more
Courtesy story by Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Hospitalman Apprentice Jullian Tran, a native of San Diego, California, recently reported aboard U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (USNMRTC) Guantanamo Bay at U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Tran, a 2024 graduate of Mira Mesa High School, recently finished Hospital Corpsman “A” School.
“I just arrived at my first duty station, coming from tech school,” Tran said. “I’m assigned to the Directorate of Surgical Services and the Specialty Care Clinic. I’m excited to work here and think I’m really going to like working in orthopedics.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Diego.
“From a very young age, I remember being somewhat of a rebel and getting into trouble,” Tran said. “My father told me these three words that he probably got somewhere else, but these words stuck with me. He told me to stay ‘calm, cool and collected.’ No matter what trouble I got into or any situation where I might lose my composure, I remember those words he spoke to me. I have only been in the Navy for a year, but I have reflected on those words that he has spoken to me a countless number of times. I’ve used these values to get me through boot camp, ‘A’ school, and at work.”
Tran joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Tran serves as a hospital corpsman.
“Honestly, I was a lost high-schooler,” Tran said. “I didn’t feel like I would have a trajectory in my life if I kept doing what I was doing. Two of my classmates joined the Navy and told me about it; it sounded like they had a good experience, so I went to a recruiting office and joined the Navy. I checked out other branches, too, but the Navy was quick! It sounded good, and my parents were supportive, so I joined. My girlfriend was a big support too. She knew me and that it would be a good step for me.”
Tran was inspired to consider becoming a hospital corpsman by those close to him.
“I heard from my girlfriend’s dad about being a corpsman, and I learned about the corpsman community from a retired Air Force major,” Tran said. “The thought of helping people and connecting with them, working hand-in-hand with doctors, was what I wanted to do.”
USNMRTC Guantanamo Bay focuses on three critical mission priorities: warfighter readiness, medical force generation and supporting the delivery of high-quality health care at U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay.
U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay provides health care to the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay community, which consists of approximately 4,500 military members, federal employees, U.S. and foreign national contractors and their families. The hospital also operates the only overseas military home health care facility, providing care to elderly special category residents who sought asylum on the installation during the Cuban Revolution.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Tran has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I feel like I am too early in my Navy career to have any great or proud accomplishments, but I am proud that I joined and I stayed,” Tran said. “I didn’t give up when times got hard. I know that I’ve only been in for a year, but I feel like this past year has been the most challenging in my life. I had to endure being away from my family for the first time and changing my whole lifestyle. I failed countless times in the past year. My proudest accomplishment is that I am no longer scared of failure.”
Tran serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“I think that I’m working in health care in general will surprise a lot of people back home,” Tran said. “To be honest, I think a lot of people I grew up with never expected me to join the military. I am honored to be a part of something bigger than myself.”
Tran is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2025 16:23 |
| Story ID: | 547368 |
| Location: | CU |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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