"Life is not easy, especially in our military environment and lifestyle. But anything is possible," said Chief Logistics Specialist Yuly Mejia. "You have to be a strong-willed person to do what we do."

At the age of 12, and equipped with little more than a backpack, hope and dreams, Mejia immigrated to the United States, from Callao, Peru, with her three younger brothers and her parents.

"We had a decent life in Peru, but there was an opportunity for a brighter future in the U.S." said Mejia. "I am very thankful to my uncle for giving us that chance. He had already immigrated to the country, and he helped my parents submit a petition. About seven months later, we had the opportunity to emigrate."

As a token of appreciation for the opportunities afforded to her, Mejia decided to give back to the country that gave so much to her, by serving in U.S. Navy. Shortly thereafter, her brothers decided to follow in their sister's footsteps by joining the U.S. Army.

Today, with 17 years of naval experience under her belt, she has ascended the ranks and said she thoroughly enjoys serving her country.

"My naval career has been a blessing," she said, with tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I have had the chance to represent the Navy and our country in foreign lands."

Mejia recalled a particular moment in her service when she noticed the impact she could have on others.

"I vividly remember an elderly woman that I encountered frequently when I was stationed in Italy," she continued. "She was closed-minded about the U.S. presence there, but through my being respectful, greeting her in Italian, and simply smiling, I could see that her attitude towards us had changed. She realized that we were there to do our job, to support not only our country, but also our allies and to keep the world safe from threats. That's when I knew that I was an ambassador for our nation."

Along with the typical challenges of life on active duty, Mejia said she had more fuel to add to the fire: three children.

"My mother would always say, 'Marriage is like a little plant. Once you stop watering it, it will die.' This is how I view life experiences," she recounted. "You have to constantly work at pulling out the weeds - bad experiences, hardships, negativity - to maintain a beautiful garden."

Mejia said that her children are her motivation to strive for excellence, but that she owes her success to a strong support system.

"I took my mother's words to heart," Mejia continued, grinning with glimmering eyes. "That's why she calls me a 'guerrera' - a warrior. I will do anything to ensure that my kids have everything they need. I was fortunate enough to have a great support system and dependable people to help me when I was deployed."

Of the three children, the eldest, Tameka Palma, and the youngest, Brennan Granison, followed their mother into the armed services by also enlisting in the Navy.

"I wasn't surprised when they decided to join the Navy," said Mejia. "They both completed three years of JROTC in high school, and they had been around uniformed people all their lives."

Her son, stationed on board USS Theodore Roosevelt, and currently deployed, said he had no qualms about following his mother's footsteps.

"I've been around the Navy my entire life," said Granison, an Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels) Airman. "My family and my love for travel played major roles in my decision to enlist."

Despite the many challenges the family faced, Mejia said they focused on the positive aspects of a mobile, active duty lifestyle.

Mejia's daughter Palma, an Engineman 2nd Class also stationed on Roosevelt, spoke about how her life as a military dependent prepared her for a life of naval service.

"In the beginning it was definitely difficult to adjust. But after doing it all the time, it became second nature. Now it's easier for me to overcome and adapt to any challenge I face," Palma added. "I've gotten the opportunity to visit so many exotic places. I have gained a lot of experience because of that, and I'm thankful for all the opportunities we've gotten through our mother's service."

As with any proud parent, Mejia said she would stop at nothing to be there for her children, and she has done this in exciting, spontaneous ways. One such way was when she surprised her daughter by attending her graduation from Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Ill.

"I didn't even know that she was going to show up because I didn't hear anything from anyone," said Palma. "I thought, 'Oh, this sucks. I'm going to be by myself.' But that same day, she was sitting in the audience, and I started freaking out because she was stationed in South Korea! It really means a lot to me that she's so supportive."

She also attended her son's graduation from RTC when she was stationed in Lisbon, Portugal.

"She showed up to my graduation, front row in her dress blues!" exclaimed Granison while laughing. "I couldn't help but laugh because she always finds a way to surprise us."

On Sept. 20, the commodore of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Capt. Clinton A. Carroll, granted Mejia yet another opportunity to surprise her children by flying to the Roosevelt and allowing them to spend the day together.

Mejia said she recognizes that none of this would have been possible without a supportive chain of command.

"I am very thankful," she said of her recent trip to Roosevelt from Essex, her voice swelling with emotions. "The commodore made the request. It was his idea, and he made it happen. You don't often see Sailors flying off to other ships for things like this. So I was grateful; very, very grateful."

For more news from USS Essex (LHD 2), visit http://www.navy.mil/.