Switching his M2HB Browning .50 caliber machine gun off of safety, his whole body shook to the core as the gun raged with recoil fired at the large orange inflatable object floating on the water.

The "killer tomato" as it is often referred to, is about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and is set to simulate a small boat threat.

Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Matthew Strong is a member of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan's Small Craft Attack Team (SCAT) and regularly trains to defend the ship against any threat.

A 2014 graduate of North Wood High School and a native of Pittsburg, N.C., Strong followed his parent's footsteps to serve his country, after high school.

"My dad was in the Navy and my mom was in the Air Force," said Strong.

Even though his parents encouraged him to join, Strong said it was important for him to do something that could make a difference, to be someone's hero and save some lives.

"I joined the Navy to save lives," said Strong. "Originally I was attempting to qualify for Navy special warfare operations, but that fell short. The next best thing was gunner's mate. Now I get to man the .50 caliber machine gun and I'm doing the best I can to make a difference."

Gunner's mates maintain the ship's weapons, qualify Sailors for the ship's security force and serve on SCAT. Strong not only likes being a gunner's mate, but he lives for it. There is nothing he likes to do more than hold an M4 rifle, M240 crew-served machine gun, or a .50 caliber machine gun.

"I like handling all the weapons. That's what I enjoy most as a gunner's mate," said Strong. "Knowing that I'm protecting all the people on this ship when I stand SCAT is why I do it."

Deployments can be a challenge for some, but Strong said that he actually enjoys it.

"My favorite part of deployment is seeing the faces," said Strong. "To me deployment is a great experience and it's fun seeing people have that great experience. You're always learning something."

Making the Navy a career can be a hard choice when you're young, but Strong said that choice was easy for him and he plans to sail the high seas for awhile.

"I'm absolutely staying in the Navy," said Strong. "My advice for others is to follow their heart and do what they want to do. If you're happy doing your job and love it, you'll stay in."

Currently Strong is serving his nation while forward deployed to the 5th Fleet area of operations and, like the rest of the crew on Bataan, he misses his family and is excited to see them when he returns home.

"If I could say one thing to my family back home I'd say thank you to my mom, who is my biggest inspiration," said Strong. "I love her. I hope she is doing big and great things back home in North Carolina. I love and miss everyone back home and can't wait to see them."

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