Petty Officer 1st Class Jovaun Brown, a native of Asbury, New Jersey, plays an influential role in the air crew safety of Sailors and Marines aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6).

While spending his 19 years of service working with air crew survival equipment at sea and ashore, he has established a foundation of experience and a passion for mentorship.

"Mentorship, for me, is a very important part of my life," said Brown. "When I think about mentorship, I think about creation, legacy, the past and the future, and how all of that affects everything we do every day."

Air crew survival equipment team members specialize in the maintenance and repair of parachutes, life rafts, personal flight gear, air crew oxygen systems, and other special gear vital to air crew survival and readiness. Brown said his intent is to employ the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment, and convey their importance within his profession.

"We have a very huge moral code that we have to go by, because we work with survival equipment," said Brown. "We handle peoples' lives in a very large capacity -- so if our job isn't done right, then somebody gets hurt or somebody doesn't survive. It's a really big deal for us."

Brown described his job as a skillful one that requires knowledge, care, and plenty of training.

"Quality is huge and details are huge; you have to be able to recollect things quickly and you may only get one opportunity, so you have to almost have a mind like a recorder," said Brown.

As one of his proteges, Petty Officer 3rd Class Adriana Martinezhuerta, from Boaz, Alabama, for whom Bonhomme Richard is her first command, explained Brown began by showing her how to do each job. Once she started doing the work herself, he was there to help her learn from her mistakes and develop her proficiency.

"We learn most of everything in the fleet, so he's taught me everything I know about the job," said Martinezhuerta.

Brown said it is important to connect with his Sailors, allowing them to take the reins and grow as critical thinkers.

"His hands-on training style has taught me to have more confidence in my performance, and to take ownership of my responsibilities," said Martinezhuerta.

"It's really important to give them an opportunity to demonstrate [their skills], so they can show you what they've got," said Brown. "The Navy is a great place because it's a giant training ground. You learn different things; you have to deal with a lot of different, stressful situations. I think it makes you a better person because you learn more about yourself and you learn more about other people."

Bonhomme Richard, flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The Bonhomme Richard ESG consists of Bonhomme Richard, amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42).

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