- April 22, 2024
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It covers a span of about 4.5 acres. It’s home to more than 3,000 men and women.
It’s the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier that travels the globe and keeps the world’s trade routes safe.
And it was the place Winter Park High School graduate Jackson Brown called home for about three years.
Brown recently was recognized for service to his country in the U.S. Navy, receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal at the Navy Office of Community Outreach.
The petty officer, second class earned the award for his tour aboard the USS John C. Stennis from 2014 to 2017. During his time on the aircraft carrier, Brown worked as an air traffic controller who supervised air operations. He also led an eight-man team called the air transfer office, which worked with cargo aircraft and escorted passengers on and off the flight deck.
His ship sailed out of Washington, about an hour away from Seattle, and traveled all across the Pacific Ocean. The ship deployed to the South China Sea in 2016 and patrolled to ensure maritime safety for the United States and its allies.
Brown said it was an honor to be recognized with the award.
“It’s a way of recognizing my time there and everything I did there,” Brown said. “It’s nice to have that recognition.”
Brown has spent more than four years serving his country in the U.S. Navy. Today he works at the Navy Office of Community Outreach in Millington, Tennessee, as a mass communication specialist. He tells the stories of the Navy through photography, videography, journalism and graphic design, connecting sailors with their hometown communities.
Brown hopes to make the art of storytelling his future career. He is attending University of Memphis to pursue his bachelor’s degree in journalism.
“It’s all about telling people’s stories,” Brown said. “I love getting their word out there. It’s cool to be able to connect people with each other. We actually go out on trips and interview these people and write up a story to send to their towns. It’s really rewarding, because I remember my time on the ship when I was a photographer for a little bit. You walk around with a camera, and you find somebody doing the most mundane of tasks. Then they see you with a camera, and all the sudden, their morning is a little bit brightened, because it’s somebody coming out to recognize them.”
Brown’s own story was shaped growing up in Winter Park. His family moved to the area when he was about 10 years old. He attended Brookshire Elementary School and grew up alongside his brother and sister, with all three of them playing sports in the area.
He remembers Friday nights at Showalter Field during his high-school days and sitting in the packed stands.
“The community is great, and the people are great,” Brown said. “I had a lot of cool life lessons there. We’re a big sports family and it’s a big sports community. We’ve all come together and have met a lot of great people that way.”
At age 18, after graduating in the class of 2013, Brown sought to pursue something greater. He dreamed of being a pilot at the time in the U.S. Navy and serving his country.
“I was just looking for a sense of direction, and that’s kind of what it gave me when I left home,” Brown said. “It’s been a really interesting journey just being able to grow into it and grow up in the military.
“I’m very self-driven now,” he said. “I think the military has taught me the value of that. If you want something, go out and get it. Don’t wait for somebody to give it to you.”
The 23-year-old said the days are slow, but the weeks go by fast on an aircraft carrier. Every sailor finds his or her routine, but life can be hectic and busy at times with 16- to 18-hour days.
“I take pride in being able to see that my family is safe and that all my friends’ families are safe,” Brown said. “We’re out here doing our thing — that allows everybody back home to enjoy everything that they enjoy.”
