NORFOLK, Va. — Petty Officer 1st Class Nicholas Kroner, a Brooksville native and 2011 graduate of Central High School, serves aboard the USS Mahan, a guided-missile destroyer based at Naval Station Norfolk.
Kroner, a surface sonar technician, joined the Navy nine and a half years ago. Military service runs in his family.
“I come from a long line of family who served in the armed forces, and I grew up in military housing,” Kroner said. “I specifically wanted to join the Navy to have a different experience from my dad.”
Growing up on the move, he said, prepared him for Navy life.
“I moved a lot growing up,” Kroner said. “That has helped me be more personable and adapt to new environments and new experiences. Being able to adapt has helped me so much in my Navy career.”
Destroyers are multimission ships that can operate independently or as part of a larger group at sea. The Mahan is armed with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a Phalanx close-in weapon system.
More than 300 sailors serve aboard the ship, in jobs ranging from maintaining engines to handling weapons, according to Navy officials.
This year, as the United States marks 250 years of independence, the Navy is highlighting its role in the nation’s defense. More information is available at navy.mil/navy-250.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and internet access dependent on undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials say the nation’s prosperity depends on recruiting and keeping talented people.
Kroner said his proudest accomplishment has been completing nine deployments and visiting 15 countries.
“Serving in the Navy means a lot to me,” Kroner said. “I’m proud to explore and build relationships that I will never forget. I’ve been on sea duty for eight years and seven months straight. A lot of people have a bad outlook on the Navy, but there are good things that come with it, like helping the people I work with.”
Kroner credited family, friends and mentors for his Navy career.
“I want to thank my mother, father and siblings,” he said. “I also want to thank my son, Ramsey; his mother, Lauren; and my friends and mentors, Ruby, Logan, Shane, Masaaki, Lt. Elise Thompson and Senior Chief Torres. There are so many more people, but I can’t list them all.”
Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Abigail Reyes writes for Fleet Public Affairs Center Norfolk.