Winter Garden U.S. Naval Sea Cadet promoted to chief petty officer

Winter Garden’s Devin Fairchild recalled being in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, working with adult volunteer rescuers and other U.S. Naval Sea Cadets to save a hiker. 

They walked at least a half-mile while crossing a small creek into the woods near Falling Water Falls and waited for a rescue team to bring the hiker down from a steep incline hill. 

Afterward, Fairchild and the other Sea Cadets helped carry the hiker, who had a punctured lung, broken ribs and scratches all over his body, to the ambulance. 

“It was definitely kind of scary,” Fairchild said. “I’ve never really seen anyone in person that badly injured, and I was about 13 at the time. It was definitely an interesting experience, I’m very glad I got to help save his life.”

The rescue effort was one of Fairchild’s most memorable experiences during a U.S. Naval Sea Cadet training. 

It’s training like this that helped Fairchild earn a promotion to chief petty officer in the Lone Sailor Division of the Sea Cadets at 16 years old. Chief petty officer is the highest rank attainable. 

Sea Cadets are not able to be promoted to chief petty officer until 16 years old, and most are not promoted until 17 or 18 years old. 

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Fairchild said of his promotion. “Receiving the title just shows my compassion, my courage, my honor, commitment and service to the U.S. NSCC (Naval Sea Cadet Corps). I get to use my experience and skills from other trainings I’ve done and apply them to almost everyday things.”

As a chief petty officer, Fairchild is tasked with getting cadets where they need to be to accomplish missions, goals and tasks that are given to them as well as serve as a mentor and lead trainings. He said it gives him a sense of pride to be a reliable, trustworthy and loyal cadet his superiors can count on and provide guidance to younger cadets. 

Fairchild joined the Wolverine Division, based in Monroe, Michigan, when he was 10 years old as a Navy League Cadet. When he and his family moved to the area in 2019, he joined the Lone Sailor Division. 

With the various trainings and opportunities the Sea Cadets offered him, Fairchild said he has continued with the organization because it felt special to him to be a part of something bigger than himself. 

“It’s such an amazing opportunity, knowing that almost no other kid in my school is a Sea Cadet,” Fairchild said. 

His time as a Sea Cadet has given him a plethora of unique experiences. In April, he went to Virginia for Fleet Week. He was responsible for manning the rails, which he said were sailors wearing their dress uniforms and standing at attention along the rails of the ship every time a ship came into port. He said it’s a surreal experience being on a U.S. naval ship and being able to man the rails of an active naval ship rather than simply visiting a naval museum. Fairchild also will be going to space camp. 

Working toward the promotion wasn’t without its challenges. He said staffing recruit training, which is the first training any cadet of 13 years and older just joining Sea Cadets undergoes before they can advance, was difficult for him because he had to step up as a leader to demonstrate the ways of Sea Cadets. 

“I had to show them what the program means and how they can achieve greatness in it,” he said. 

Despite its challenges, Fairchild said staffing recruit training also was rewarding because it allowed him to mentor younger cadets. 

Being a Sea Cadet also has given him opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community. He loved volunteering at Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine. He helped the organizers set up for the event at Family Church-Windermere campus and assisted with whatever was needed. He also enjoyed the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bunk Bed Build in Windermere. 

“It’s special to me being able to help out with almost anything and being able to get these skills at such a young age that allow me to be confident in what I do and use my experience from trainings to apply them to the real world,” Fairchild said.