Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Cintron | GREAT LAKES, Ill. (Sept. 17, 2010) – Airman Sarah Boykin, places a cover her son...... read more read more
BOSTON – The United States Navy is steeped in tradition, pride and legacy. One Connecticut family has continued from mother to son serving in the Navy.
Chief Navy Counselor Sarah Boykin, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group New England, first enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2010 as an aircrew survival equipmentman. In 2016, she found her calling as a Navy counselor, changing lives and helping bolster our naval forces by recruiting talented and dedicated individuals.
“I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Boykin. “Seeing their growth from a civilian to a Sailor was extraordinarily fulfilling to me.”
As her career grew and changed, so did her family life and the lives of her children. She was consistently mission oriented but also knew the importance of raising her children with the same values instilled in her during her naval career.
“Making sure my kids grew up to be conscious and dedicated was always a priority for me,” said Boykin. “The Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment helped guide me in my parenting and ultimately impacted my children to be the wonderful people they are today.”
Her son Camden Henzel grew up watching his mother serve the country, developing a deep sense of pride for her and aspired one day to serve himself.
“My mom paved the way for me and showed me another way to achieve my goals without just going to college,” said Henzel. “I saw the Navy lifestyle and decided it was something I wanted to carry on doing.”
In August 2024, Henzel took the oath of enlistment after deciding to pursue the Navy as his career.
“Taking this step into securing my future was something I knew I wanted to do,” said Henzel. “Ultimately raising my right hand like my mom had done so many times felt right.”
Henzel went on to enter the delayed entry program for 11 months.
“I grew up learning about the Navy, but the delayed entry program was still helpful,” said Henzel. “It gave me a chance to fully prepare for bootcamp.”
On September 11, 2025, Henzel graduated from Recruit Training Command. Boykin had the opportunity to see her son as a Sailor.
“It was amazing seeing him in the uniform,” said Boykin. “I had such an immense amount of pride knowing my son is now a Sailor, carrying on the legacy I started. It was really a huge moment for us both.”
NTAG New England serves Navy Recruiting Command’s mission in the New England area encompassing the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the eastern half of New York.
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2025 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 551930 |
| Location: | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Hometown: | ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, FROM SMALL TOWN CONNECTICUT TO THE FLEET; A STORY OF NAVAL LEGACY, by PO2 Michael Cintron, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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