By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist John Osborne, Navy Office of Community Outreach | Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman
Sierra Garcia
SUFFOLK, Va. – Master Chief Petty Officer Kadesha Perry, a native of Jamaica, New York, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Network Warfare Command (NAVNETWARCOM).
Perry graduated from Queen Gateway to Health Science in 1998. Additionally, Perry earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from St. Leo University in 2019 and 2023 respectively. Perry is also currently working on completing a doctorate as well.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Jamaica.
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“Having been brought up in Brooklyn and Queens, coupled with my Jamaican West Indies ethnicity, the lesson I apply to the Navy is our high level of industriousness,” said Perry. “There was never any job or opportunity placed before me that I found too great or too small to gain success from or provide help with. Additionally, the New Yorker in me also approached my conduct with a certain level of directness so that I could see to the heart of any matter quickly.”
Perry joined the Navy 26 years ago. Today, Perry serves as an information systems technician.
“What inspired me to join the Navy was the level of autonomy I believed it would offer me,” said Perry. “My parents immigrated to America in the ’70s with minimal assets to their name. They taught my siblings and me that the ability to be able to take care of yourself properly without having to count on someone else is one of life’s best pursuits. I believed the military with its built-in structure could be an excellent start to help me achieve that.”
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NAVNETWARCOM’s mission is to execute tactical-level command and control to direct, operate, maintain and secure Navy communications and network systems within the Department of Defense Information Networks-Navy environment.
Navy information warfare (IW) plays a role in every Navy mission, every day, around the globe. NAVIFOR’s mission is to ensure the more than 60,000 IW sailors and civilians in the fleet – experts in cyberspace, communications, intelligence, meteorology, oceanography, cryptology, electronic warfare and space – are trained, equipped, certified and ready to meet the Navy’s warfighting missions.
“Information Warfare extends from seabed to space, and is critical to our Navy’s success in competition, crisis and conflict,” said Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza, the Navy’s IBoss and commander of NAVIFOR. “The more than 60,000 IW professionals across the globe are our asymmetric advantage – their expertise, professionalism, imagination and creativity are key to our Navy overcoming any adversary at pace and at scale.”
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.
Perry serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”
Perry has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am proud that I went from a seaman recruit to a master chief petty officer in my career,” said Perry. “Master chief petty officers make up the top 1% of the Navy and women master chiefs only .02% of that. To achieve this is a real accomplishment, but without great sailors and the right chain of command to believe fully in me, I would not be where I am. Additionally, I was able to obtain two of the hardest qualifications in my rating, the Joint Fleet Telecommunications Operations Chief Watch Officer in Bahrain and Combat Systems Officer of the Watch on board USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Again, I could not have done it without the sailors who studied with me and trained me outside of their working hours. Lastly, I was blessed to serve on the selection board in Millington, Tennessee, a few times. To be able to give back at one of the highest levels by selecting our next crop of chiefs, senior chiefs and master chiefs was another highlight moment.”
Perry can take pride in serving America through military service.
“The level of autonomy and satisfaction serving in the Navy has allowed in my personal life with the ability to take care of myself has been an absolute blessing,” said Perry. “The longer I have been in the service, other meanings have added themselves to my life, such as the continued honor of sailors trusting you with their choices and careers so you can properly see them and help them see themselves. The gravity of them giving me their trust has never gotten old. The ability to maneuver and lead yourself and try to give them the best in excellence that you have turned out to be my greatest joy.”
Perry is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret). Laila Salaam, Command Master Chief Erica Barnett, Cmdr. (Select) Bruce Andrews, Cmdr. Lenord Deprisco, Cmdr. Anthony Thomas, Capt. (Ret.) Jack Granger and (Ret.) Cmdr. J McCarthy, for all of their support,” added Perry. “I also want to thank my daughter, Amija James.”
Jamaica Native Serves with U.S. Navy in Suffolk added by Caribbean American Weekly on
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