Nimitz' Sailor Returns From Being an IA in Iraq

USS NIMITZ, At Sea (NNS) -- An assignment as an Individual Augmentee (IA) usually means big changes and requires being able to adapt to challenging environments. One Sailor on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) stepped out of his comfort zone and recently returned to tell the tale.

Thirty-three-year-old Electrician's Mate (EM) 1st Class Jovi C. Canoy, of Pearl City, Hawaii, recently returned to Nimitz after being an IA in Iraq for one year.

"I volunteered to go IA to Iraq because I wanted to experience something different in my naval career," said Canoy.

Canoy had been in the Navy for 11 years before he had the opportunity to go IA.

"I joined in April 2001 to get off the island [Hawaii] and to see more of the world," said Canoy.

His first duty station was in Pearl Harbor on board the USS Salvor where he stayed for five years.

After his first sea duty tour, Canoy was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan for three years of shore duty before he reported on board Nimitz in May 2010.

"I left the Nimitz to go IA in February 2012 to Ft. Jackson, S.C., which is an Army base for three weeks of combat training," said Canoy. "Then, I went straight to Kuwait for processing with a group of Navy personnel to be a part of the joint service in Iraq."

Canoy's IA billet in Iraq was for Senior Electronics Electrical Trainer to the Iraqi navy. During his time in Iraq, Canoy helped the Iraqi navy train on basic seamanship, how to use crew serve weapons, tactical movements, navigation and engineering.

"At first it was a little chaotic because they didn't have a training program, but we helped them [Iraqi navy] to establish a training program while I was there," said Canoy. "I think we did a good job helping the Iraqi navy with becoming better at maintaining their equipment and helping them train."

According to Canoy, while he was an IA in Iraq, he participated in helping the Iraqi navy conduct mine warfare exercises with the U.S. Navy, which was the first time the exercises had been conducted since the troops left in Iraq in 2011.

"Some of the Iraqi navy went to the U.S. Navy ships and vice versa to do training exercises on each other's ship," said Canoy. "I got to go on the Iraqi ships to do training with their personnel almost daily."

Being stationed in Iraq also allowed Canoy the opportunity to interact with some of the locals which was a highlight of his time being IA in Iraq.

"We weren't allowed to go off the base, but we did get to interact with some of the Iraqi nationals that worked on the base," said Canoy. "There was a language barrier, but we taught each other a bit of each other's language."

Canoy returned to Nimitz in February 2013 and says he is adjusting well to being back on board and easing back into the job he did before he went IA.

"I've been able to slip back into my sea legs and get back to what I did on board before I left," said Canoy. "There haven't been any major differences since I came back. I work with the same people who were here when I left, and the command has been very supportive."


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