08/13/2024
I remember being in boot camp and thinking about how proud Commander would be of me. I had known ALL of the Navy facing movements BEFORE I got to boot camp. It was a huge leg up. I got to step up and be a leader and help my fellow recruits learn how to march! If it wasn’t for CMDR Atkins and NJROTC, I know every experience in my naval career would be different than the norm.
He always knew how to get our attention with his loud voice or when to cut the tension with a side-spitty-laugh. I know you can hear it too.
In boot camp, the way I wished I could get as loud as CMDR when he would scream “BATTTALLLIONNNNNN FALLLLLLL INNNNNNNN”. Eventually I did, it’s all from the diaphragm, which I already knew because of CMDR and ROTC his teachings.
CMDR created a place of structure for some of us who didn’t have it and needed it.
CMDR made a safe space for kids to be themselves.
CMDR made responsibility feel GOOD to a young teen like me running the back uniform room for my fellow students. In fact, I had the confidence to step up and help my fellow recruits with making sure they got their uniforms on night one of boot camp with no sleep for 24 hours.
CMDR taught me how to be responsible for my fellow students lives while belaying them on the rock wall. I remember feeling so proud to be his teammate. He made me feel equal to him even though he was my elder.
CMDR was the wisdom that we all carried with us in life.
We all miss you dearly but your memory and lessons stay with us forever.
