EVERY sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Senior Chief Petty Officer Amani Brown, this story has ties to Jamaica, where skills and values learnt there are foundational to success in the United States (US) Navy.

Brown was born in Port Antonio and lived in Drapers until age 11, when he moved to the United States. His family settled in Euclid, Ohio.

“My instructors from Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in high school really encouraged me and gave me the voice I needed to be more confident in myself,” Brown said. “They gave me the confidence to know that I could put my mind toward achieving things. It showed me that, from my perspective as someone from humble beginnings who came from a foreign country, you can still dream big. Because I wanted to be a pilot as a child, that desire gave me direction and propelled me to try things and to succeed. If you aim for the stars, you never know what you’ll achieve on the way up.”