By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist John Osborne, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Devanna, a native of Everett, Massachusetts, serves aboard USS Cole, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
Devanna graduated from Everett High School in 2018.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Everett.
“I was in marching band beginning in the eighth grade, which requires a level of discipline that has helped me to grow my work ethic in the Navy,” Devanna said.
Devanna joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Devanna serves as a fire controlman (AEGIS).
“I was at a place in my life where I was unsure what to do when I joined the Navy,” Devanna said. “My dad also served 10 and a half years, and I grew up around that lifestyle. He carried that discipline into our home, and it helped raise me to those standards. I decided to join, and it has improved my life tremendously.”
This October marks 25 years since the deadly terrorist attack on Cole while the ship was refueling in Yemen. The explosion, carried out by two al-Qaida suicide bombers, killed 17 sailors, wounded 37 more and blew a 40-foot-wide hole in the side of the ship. The crew worked tirelessly for more than 96 hours to free their shipmates trapped by the blast, limit flooding that threatened to sink the ship and address other issues that could have led to catastrophic fires that would have cost the lives of more sailors.
The ship, nicknamed the “Determined Warrior,” returned to the fleet in April 2002 after 14 months of repairs and has served on numerous deployments since, including most recently in 2024, spending seven months in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Gulf providing deterrence and defense to U.S. allies and partners.
Cole is a Navy destroyer, a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a Phalanx close-in weapons system.
More than 300 sailors serve aboard Cole. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Devanna has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“By far my proudest accomplishment was being able to work on and fix our air defense radar,” Devanna said. “While on deployment, we were attacked by Houthi rebels, and my radar was the first line of defense for the ship. Thanks to my work and the work of my shipmates, our radar was able to successfully detect those threats and aid in the defense of the ship.”
Devanna serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy to me means waking up every day and finding the will to move forward,” Devanna said. “Showing up day in and day out and adapting to our flexible schedule is a skill I will value forever.”
Devanna is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents, David and Kimberly, for always giving me the support I’ve needed throughout my life,” Devanna added. “My mom was initially upset about me joining, but the next day, she was fully behind me. I also want to shout out my best friends, Fernando Escobar, Spencer Landry, Adolfo Cruz, and Francis Lee. Their support while I am overseas and while I’m at home in Virginia has helped me through every day of the last six years.”