Ensign Peter Gelsthorpe, a native of Sherborn, Massachusetts, received his Surface Warfare Officer insignia during a ceremony held onboard USS James E. Williams, a guided missile destroyer, currently deployed in the Persian Gulf.
Gelsthorpe, who has served in the Navy for two years, is responsible for the navigation and safe maneuvering of the ship and leading sailors within his division.
"I love leading and working with sailors," Gelsthorpe said. "I also love being on the bridge driving the ship."
Surface Warfare Officers are Navy officers whose training and primary duties focus on the operation of Navy ships at sea and the management of various shipboard systems. Their ultimate goal is to command a Navy surface ship.
"I am proud of this achievement because it means that the Captain trusts me and I have successfully earned the title of being a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy," Gelsthorpe said.
James E. Williams is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer named in honor of Chief Boatswain's Mate James E. Williams, one of the Navy's most highly decorated enlisted sailors. Guided-missile destroyers are multi-mission surface combatants capable of conducting anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare.
Gelsthorpe, a 2014 graduate of Dover Sherborn Regional High School, joined the Navy to do his part in helping people by serving the greatest nation in the world. According to Gelsthorpe, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Sherborn.
"Growing up playing sports taught me what it meant to work as a team and be a leader," Gelsthorpe said. "My hometown also taught me how to learn and be a student."
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Gelsthorpe, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Gelsthorpe is honored to carry on the family tradition.
"My grandfather served in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer during WWII and serving in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer just like him, means that I am carrying on his legacy and tradition," Gelsthorpe said. "He felt very strongly that his service was the best thing he did in his life and I hope to make the world a better place in the same way he did."
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Gelsthorpe, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.
"Serving in the Navy means that we wear the uniform of so many great people who have come before us to keep the world’s greatest country safe," Gelsthorpe said.
