Henderson native finds meaning serving fellow sailors on Navy warship

By Adwoa Fosu

Thursday, March 5, 2015 | 2 a.m.

A Green Valley High School graduate is serving his country aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush.

Seaman Sean Rocovitz, a Henderson native and 2009 graduate of Green Valley, serves as a culinary specialist aboard the ship, which is 1,100 feet long, or about three football fields.

"My great-grandfather inspired me to join the Navy," Rocovitz said. "He was a World War II Navy veteran. The Navy helped him establish a career and create a meaningful life."

Rocovitz is one of about 3,200 men and women who work on the ship, performing duties that range from preparing meals to handling weaponry.

Another 2,500 or so men and women make up the air wing, an area of the ship that houses those who fly and maintain the aircraft.

"I can't express how proud I am to be a part of this team," Capt. Andrew J. Loiselle, the carrier's commanding officer, said. "They performed at the highest level day in and day out during our recent nine-month combat deployment and are continuing to do so here at home."

As a baker, Rocovitz's responsibilities include making and delivering thousands of desserts each day.

He says serving aboard a ship is something he never would have expected to do a couple of years ago, but now, he plans to make the Navy his career.

The USS George H.W. Bush, with its ability to carry more than 70 attack jets, helicopters and other aircraft, is oftentimes the first responder in a global crisis because it can operate freely in international waters.

Rocovitz and his fellow sailors believe they are creating a lasting legacy by serving on the ship.

"Life aboard an aircraft carrier is undeniably difficult and exhausting, but it can also be exhilarating," Rocovitz said. "Good or bad, it's like no other place on earth."