Seaman Jeffrey Davidson learned about military service growing up in Columbus.
“My hometown is right next to Fort Benning, so I knew a little about military service from the people living there,” said Davidson.
The 2009 Kendrick High School graduate now builds and fights around the world as a member of the U.S. Navy’s Construction Force, known as the Seabees. Davidson’s naval construction battalion center may be located in Gulfport, Mississippi, but this logistics specialist is responsible for supplying the Seabees wherever their mission takes them.
For more than 75 years, Seabeas like Davidson have served in all American conflicts. The Seabees paved the 10,000-mile road to victory for the Allies in the Pacific and European theaters of the Second World War, and they have been instrumental in humanitarian efforts around the globe, serving communities in the wake of earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Since joining the Navy, Davidson has served our country with distinction. Davidson is most proud of earning his master helmsman qualification in 2017 while serving at his previous command, the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis.
As a Seabee, Davidson is a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer highlights the importance of Seabees like Davidson when discussing the U.S. Navy’s goals, saying, “Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships.”
America is a maritime nation, say Navy officials, and the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to freely operate on the world’s oceans. Davidson has a clear vision of how his role fits into our nation’s security.
“I get to do something I’m proud of every day because I understand we’re serving a bigger purpose,” added Davidson.