Serving at Sea Part Five: Highlighting unsung heroes

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — For the past week, WWAY’s “Serving at Sea” series has taken viewers behind the scenes of the United States Navy, introducing them to captains, pilots, technicians, and other sailors who play important roles in the Navy’s mission of protecting the public. In the final chapter of the five-part series, the focus shifted to some lesser-known sailors who serve equally vital roles.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier that carries a crew of over 5,000 sailors. Among those sailors is Leighann Kelly, a dental assistant who works in a full-functioning dental clinic on board the ship. Kelly and her colleagues see over 5,000 sailors during the ship’s air wing operations, providing everything from routine checkups to emergency procedures.

“We see anything from fillings to getting like a crown and even oral surgery. We take teeth out here,” Kelly said.

In addition to dental work, Kelly is also trained to respond to other kinds of emergencies on the ship, including fires, flooding, and toxic gas.

“Anytime there’s a casualty on board, I help respond with that. And then I do medical coverage for those sailors fighting the fires,” Kelly said.

Although dental assistants like Kelly may not have a direct role in launching aircraft, Kelly emphasizes the significance of her contribution to the mission.

“With our pilots, if they say have a toothache or pain, they can’t fly. And if they can’t fly, we’re not fighting the big battle here,” Kelly said.

Another sailor who plays a unique role on board the Eisenhower is Tyler Mabry, a religious program specialist from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Mabry provides sailors with access to a basic need not often highlighted: the opportunity to connect with their faith.

“Making sure that stuff like the Buddhist books, prayer rugs, are available, and helping facilitate religious services, Bible studies, and making sure they have the materials necessary for that,” Mabry said.

Mabry also runs the Suicide Prevention Program and the Command Resiliency Programs, which aim to combat an issue members of the military tend to struggle with more often than civilians: suicidal ideation.

“We do things like run classes called Safe Talk, and what we do with that is, was there one down, we explain the signs of someone who might be thinking about suicide and who they can talk to and who to take them to,” Mabry said.

During Bennett’s time spent connecting with members of the US Navy, both on base and on board the Eisenhower, one thing was made clear: every sailor plays an important role.

“We are not the world’s biggest Navy, but we are the world’s best Navy. And that is what separates us from our adversaries around the world. And what is that secret weapon that separates us? It’s our sailors. It’s our sailors who are the absolute rock bottom best trained sailors on this planet,” said Captain Dave Hecht.

The “Serving at Sea” series may be coming to an end, but Navy Week in Wilmington continues through Sunday.

View other Serving at Sea stories:

Serving at Sea Part One: Life on a US Navy submarine

Serving at Sea Part Two: Navy Expeditionary Unit shows off hovercrafts, advanced simulators

Serving at Sea Part Three: Boarding the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

Serving at Sea Part Four: Hometown Heroes aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower