A retired Navy chief shares some words of wisdom for current Sailors.

"A lot of things can go wrong on a ship," said retired Chief Petty Officer Essex Moore. "I remember one time on USS Blue Ridge [LCC-19], at two o'clock in the morning, general quarters sounded. They lost control of the rudders. It was a tense situation as the ship got closer and closer to shallow water; closer and closer to rocks. I was documenting what was happening on the bridge, and to see the tension, almost panic in the bridge crew was interesting. But, thank God, we were able to get everything repaired and get the ship back out in deeper water."

Every day you encounter someone or maybe you yourself experience the feeling of drifting toward shallow waters. Being a Sailor is one of the most stressful jobs in the world, and Moore had times in his 22-year career, especially early on, when he felt the same way. But through his career, he developed an outlook that could benefit every Sailor.

"Not every day in the Navy was fun, but I loved my time in the Navy," said Moore. "I loved getting underway. I'm not going to say that I loved the long work hours, but I certainly loved the work that we were doing."

Moore found his professional passion as a Mass Communication Specialist, and once he put his focus on that passion, everything around him began looking a bit brighter. His positivity also came from another source.

"My faith has a lot to do with it. I knew God had me in the Navy for a reason," said Moore. "I was running from him in the beginning. But as I restored my relationship with God, I started to see the positive side of things more than the negative."

Moore's attitude may seem overly-optimistic, but even as an outsider looking in on modern Navy life, he sees patterns of the same problems he faced during his Navy career.

"With the changes in regulations and even the change in our Commander in Chief, there comes a lot of uncertainty," said Moore. "What's the Navy going to be like next? I would simply tell a Sailor to 'relax and just carry on your duty with the honor, courage and commitment that has been instilled in us, and you'll be just fine.'"

Many of the skills Moore acquired in the Navy-diligence and leadership being two of the most important to him-have translated to his life as a civilian. The benefits he now reaps came from putting his focus in the right places.

"If I could give advice to a young Sailor, it would be to remember not to form their opinion about the Navy overall based on where they are at this particular moment," said Moore. "There are good commands, there are bad commands; there are good duty assignments, there are bad duty assignments, but those always pass."

Moore chose to finish a full career, but for many Sailors, that's not an option.

"I frequently tell young Sailors that the Navy is not for everyone," said Moore. "But for the young Sailor who's there, take advantage of the great position you're in, because it will impact the rest of your life."

Moore said his philosophy is that instead of one day realizing you've lost control of your rudders, floating toward the shallows, make the best of every day, and stay fixed on deeper waters.

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