NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — From scrubbing the walls of an unfinished galley to being honored as the Bluejacket of the Year, Culinary Specialist Seaman Aeja Hood's journey aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is a story of growth, resilience, and a Sailor coming into her own as her ship comes to life.
When Hood first reported aboard the ship back in March 2025, the galley spaces were not yet alive, tape covered equipment, and spaces that did not yet feel like a finished galley. Hood remembers looking around and thinking there was no way she would ever be cooking there. Then, months later, she watched that same space come to life.
“When we opened the aft galley, I was like, ‘I cannot believe I’m here,’” said Hood.
That transformation, from unfinished space to operational galley, mirrors Hood’s own journey aboard John F. Kennedy. Her recognition as Bluejacket of the Year recognizes individual excellence, but it also reflects the larger story of a junior Sailor growing into her role while helping build something for the first time. For Hood, the award is tied to long days, mentorship, self-doubt, teamwork and the relentless work of feeding a crew aboard a ship coming to life.
Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Crystal Graham, Hood’s leading chief petty officer, said the recognition reaches beyond one Sailor.
“It’s not just a moment for her,” said Graham. “It’s a moment that celebrates her peers and division as well, because food service is not a one-person show, it’s a team effort.”
Hood described the job as selfless, saying food service is about looking after everybody but yourself. On days when much of the crew is enjoying time off, she and her fellow culinary specialists are still cooking, cleaning, and serving.
“The most important thing in this galley is teamwork,” said Hood. “Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.”
Graham said it is that mindset of teamwork that sets Hood apart – that she embodies what the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Doug Langenberg, calls SOAP (standards, ownership, accountability and professionalism).
“Seaman Hood not only holds herself to a high standard, but also supports her peers and brings strong customer service to every space she works in,” said Graham. “Her win matters because it helps show that even in a rating that can feel thankless, the work is seen and appreciated.
Hood’s path to this recognition was not necessarily built on confidence. By her own account, it began with uncertainty.
Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Hood said the environment around her humbled her early on and taught her the importance of community. After high school, she wanted to go to college, but knew she still had habits that would hurt her. The biggest was procrastination, which fed her tendency to overthink. She joined the Navy in November 2024, seeing it as the right path to structure, growth and a stronger foundation.
That change did not happen all at once. Hood said that when she first arrived aboard the ship, she sometimes felt useless because she was supposed to be cooking but spent so much time cleaning. Later, she realized those early months were shaping her work ethic and attention to detail. She said she did not dwell long in the feeling that she was doing nothing. She listened in quarters, took on responsibilities and kept moving forward. Eventually, one of her mentors noticed her. Hood said that was the moment she first heard about Bluejacket of the Year and became motivated to pursue it.
“I was like, ‘Okay, this seems nice. It’s what I’m going to do,’” she said.
When the news finally came, she was too busy working to catch the announcement. Hood recalls that it was a Friday and she was in the galley when senior leadership walked in to congratulate her. At first, she had no idea what had happened. Then they told her she had been selected. She and a fellow shipmate started jumping up and down.
“That was pretty cool,” Hood said. “It’s kind of funny because I didn’t hear anything that was going on. I was in the galley.”
Of all the things the award could have validated, Hood said the part she is most proud of is her growth.
She still remembers going before the Sailor of the Year board feeling completely nervous. In the past, that might have stopped her. Instead, she went in anyway.
“Even when you feel unprepared, just get in there and try,” Hood said. “It can turn around. You don’t know what the outcome may be.”
She said the experience changed her perspective, teaching her to trust in herself more and spend less time assuming she is not qualified enough.
That growth has not been easy. Hood said she has had overwhelming moments aboard the ship, including times when built-up grief and stress surfaced in the middle of the workday. In those moments, she leaned on leadership and mentors who helped steady her, encouraged her to breathe, and reminded her to ask for help when needed.
Today, Hood says one of the biggest things she has learned about herself is that she is becoming a problem solver. She sees it in the way she approaches the workday, in how she communicates with leadership, and in how she thinks through what comes next. Her short-term goal is to start school. Her long-term goal? She is still learning herself and deciding what future she wants to build.
For now, her advice to younger Sailors is simple.
“Keep your head up,” Hood said. “That is the most crucial thing, because once you let your mental go, it seems like you almost lost everything.”
Aboard John F. Kennedy, that lesson carries weight. The ship is still under construction. Its culture is still being built. In that environment, Hood’s story stands out. Not because it is polished, but because it is real - a junior Sailor, shaped by hard work, supported by her team, and growing alongside the ship she serves aboard.