PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Petty Officer 1st Class Micol Zabala, a 2004 Guilderland High School graduate, is serving in the United States Navy at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as a hospital corpsman within the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of operations.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.

Zabala helps medical providers in the daily medical care of active duty service members, their dependents, and retirees.

He credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Guilderland.

“My hometown taught me the value of family and friendship, which has helped me succeed in my naval career,” said Zabala.

Zabala is most proud of certification in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt “because to earn it I had to manage two process improvement projects that had measurable effects and improvements to a specified process,”he said. “It took me out of my comfort zone and helped develop me into a better leader.”

Zabala is honored to carry on his family tradition of military service. “I have several family members who served in the military,” said Zabala. “Their stories about their sacrifice have always inspired me to serve and it has been an honor to continue their legacy.”

He concluded, “Serving in the Navy means I get to serve my country while learning new skills and traveling to interesting places. I am constantly challenged and given opportunities to grow professionally as well as personally.”

Editor’s note: Brian T. Glunt is a Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class in the Navy Office of Community Outreach.

A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea. 

Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means Zabala is serving in a part of the world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

  “Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”

The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies. The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades. 
 

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career,
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Zabala, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. 

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Zabala and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.