Story by Chief Petty Officer Joshua J. Wahl, Navy Recruiting District New England Public Affairs
BOSTON (Feb 25, 2020) – Delayed Entry Program Coordinator, Equipment Operator 1st Class Pearl Coyman is the Navy Recruiting District New England Sailor of the week.
A Meredith, New Hampshire native and graduate of Belmont Red Raiders High School, Coyman, worked in the medical field before joining the military.
"I've been in the nursing field for 16 years," said Coyman. "I always wanted to go into the military since I was 18."
As a single parent of two teenage girls, she saw the Navy as a palace to provide structure and reliability for her family.
“I couldn't go active duty, but the reserves allowed that flexibility to continue with my civilian side," said Coyman. "I learn and gain experience in training here working in the military part-time."
Her upbringing played some influence in choosing her Navy rate.
"I grew up in a household of a Marine and construction, said Coyman. "Which helped persuade my decision into the Seabees, so here I am as an Equipment Operator."
After a five-month “A” school in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, she was set to work with Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 27, known as the Skibees. She trained and facilitated other units in camp layout, electrical components set-up and construction tactics to groups in and out of the construction battalion.
"If a Seabee group is not attached, we teach the Navy and other branches," said Coyman. The Seabees are an independently operating community, the only independently forward-moving battalion in the Navy. It is what makes us so unique from the rest of the Navy.
While serving in the reserves, she also worked with a funeral honor guard assisting in over 400 funerals from 2012-2017.
"I would work nights in the nursing field," said Coyman. "It made it possible to bring my kids to school in the morning and then assist at the funeral and get my nap in the afternoon,"
She said her family is essential for staying motivated.
"My kids push me forward," said Coyman. "Whenever I feel like I might be slipping or frustrated. I remember what I am doing and who I am doing it for."
As the NRD New England DEP Coordinator, she stays busy, ensuring delayed entry Sailors transition successfully through their time before shipping to boot camp.
"If they want to exchange their prospective job, or if they want to leave sooner or later, or if someone gets injured playing on a sports team and breaks their leg, we have to make sure they are 100% medical ready,”said Coyman. “Also, moral support for acquiring a career that is going to help them succeed even further in their life."
Through work and collateral duties, she has found a sense of unity with the team at NRD New England.
"I have a really good office here," said Coyman. "A group of co-workers that has each other's back. Somebody will always find a way to help the other one out, so we aren't left stranded."
On definite recall active order, Coyman is eligible to receive all active duty pay and benefits. Not wasting time, she uses the opportunity for tuition assistance to compete with her degree.
"I was going to school for a bachelor's criminal justice," said Coyman. "However, I am gearing up towards the intel side. I have my associates in criminal justice, and I am completing my bachelor's in intelligence operations."
She also volunteers to support the local military.
"It just brings people together and strengthens the social network," said Coyman. "We all know the different types of hardships in the Navy and the deployments we go. Know they have the support and people to reach out too is important."
NRD New England covers over 93,500 square miles encompassing the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the Eastern half of New York. Headquartered in Boston, it also maintains two stations overseas at Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Naples, Italy, covering the entire territory of Europe, Southwest Asia, and the Middle East. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America's Navy.