In the gardens of Cameroon, Sandra Djamen and a friend go for a walk to look at the scenery. In the distance, Djamen spots a U.S. Navy reception; Sailors dining, dressed in white. Djamen and her companion were surprised to see such an extravagant event, and Djamen jokingly remarks that she’ll join the Navy. Little did she know at the time that she would spend almost her entire time in the United States as a Navy Sailor.
Djamen grew up in Cameroon, a country in Central West Africa. She went to school for accounting, before switching to an Arts degree. When she turned 21, she moved to America to be near the rest of her family.
With French being her first language, she went to school to learn English for a year. One day, she came across some Navy recruiters, and out of curiosity, stopped by their office. She was intrigued by the opportunities to travel and gain more education. She went to boot camp rated as a Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical), beginning her journey in the Navy.
“I didn’t know anything about engineering,” said Djamen. “I wasn’t even driving.”
After graduating boot camp and initial training, Djamen arrived to her first duty station in Japan, the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63), as a Fireman. Despite her year of English studies, she had a hard time grasping the language, which made it even more difficult to learn her new career as an engineer.“Coming from another country and being in the military is a lot of pressure,” Djamen said. “When it comes to pressure and challenge, it’s scary, but you have to push yourself to get out of your comfort zone and actually try.”
Her chain of command was understanding of her positon. They spared her judgment, and showed her patience. Through the struggle she persisted, working hard and giving results instead of excuses.
"I joined a little bit late,” Djamen said. “When you have a task, you should always try to do more than what is given to you."
Djamen became very proficient at maintenance material management (3M). Her supervisors noticed her efforts and decided to let her be a work center supervisor, despite only being an E-3.
"I always found that 3M is self-explanatory," Djamen said. "It’s all about the planning, being able to see what you plan come to fruition; it’s more tangible, and that’s why it’s attractive to me."
After her time on the Stethem, she did another sea tour on the USS Preble (DDG 88) in Hawaii, followed by shore duty at Surface Warfare Engineering School Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.
By the time Djamen left Great Lakes, she advanced to Chief Petty Officer and received orders as a 3M system coordinator (3MC) on the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
The 3MC is responsible for monitoring the 3M program aboard their ship, training Sailors in 3M and testing and designating Work Center Supervisors, keeping track of all the maintenance that is conducted on board. 3MCs brief the executive officer and report to Type Commander (TYCOM) the status of the ship and its equipment. If the command can’t perform maintenance on certain equipment, TYCOM needs to know why and how they can find a solution, Djamen said.
Coming from shore duty, Djamen leaned on the other 3MCs for guidance. But similar to her first ship, she put in the extra effort and sharpened her knowledge and experience. Carriers are billeted for four 3MCs: a Master Chief, Senior Chief, and two Chiefs responsible for the entire vessel’s maintenance program. Djamen said at one point she was the only 3MC on board during a hull swap with USS George Washington (CVN 73), which lasted about two months.
Djamen enjoys being a 3MC, leading Sailors to success in their day-to-day tasks and watching them learn.
"It’s guiding people," said Djamen, "That enjoyment of being able to teach them, saying ‘this is how it works, don't make it too complicated, it’s quite easy’ and then seeing that light in their eyes, when they realize it’s not that bad, it’s good … I did my job."
Djamen has been screened for promotion to senior chief, ready to don the star at her next command. In six years, she’ll be retirement eligible. After she gets out, she plans on going back to school to work towards a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity. She has given 14 years of her life serving in the Navy, learning what it means to be a Sailor and passing on the wisdom of her time and experience to the next generation of Sailors.
“There’s nothing wrong with getting out after four years,” said Djamen. “But during those four years, do everything you need or want to do with the best of your ability.”