Skip to content

Breaking News

Military news

Exeter Township woman serving on historic Navy ship

Military news: June 28
Reading Eagle
Military news: June 28
Author
Skyler Okerman
Skyler Okerman

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Skyler Okerman, an Exeter Township native, is serving aboard the USS Constitution, America’s oldest commissioned warship

Okerman, a 2017 Exeter High School graduate, joined the Navy five and a half years ago and serves as a mass communication specialist.

“I joined the Navy because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father who served in the Marine Corps,” Okerman said in an announcement provided by the Navy.

“I feel proud every day to serve in the Navy and show the world what the Navy is capable of,” Okerman said. “I love when everyone asks me what I do for my job and I get to tell them what I do in the Navy.”

The USS Constitution crew is hand-picked to promote naval history and maritime heritage while raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence.

The ship, now located in Boston, earned the nickname Old Ironsides during the War of 1812 after British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull. USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and captured or destroyed 33 enemy vessels.