Boatswains Mate 1st Class Joshua Maurer, leading petty officer of the operations department at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Atlanta, was among the honored student veterans that threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Georgia Highlands College Veteran's Day softball game in Cartersville, Georgia, Nov. 11.

Maurer is a sophomore in the school's criminal justice program. He was accompanied on the pitcher's mound by fellow student, veteran U.S. Army Spc. Michael Peters, and veteran spouse and gold star mother Janet Johnson. Johnson's son, U.S. Army Spc. Justin Johnson, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004.

Maurer said he wasn't expecting the invitation from his school to participate in the game, but felt honored when the school reached out to him.

"It feels good to represent my command and the Navy," said Maurer. "When I was invited by my school... it was a pretty awesome and an overwhelming feeling."

Maurer joined the Navy in 2010 and was assigned aboard the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56), homeported in Mayport, Florida., for more than four years. During that time, Maurer deployed three times, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aiden.

Maurer's current duties at NOSC Atlanta include maintaining, training and mobilization readiness for more than 1,200 Reserve Sailors.

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