Petty Officer 1st Class Heather Wessel, a native of Cottleville, Missouri, joined the navy 11 years ago, currently serving as an intelligence specialist aboard USS Porter, homeported in Rota, Spain.
USS Porter is a guided-missile destroyer capable of conducting anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare. Wessel assists in the collection, processing and dissemination of intelligence information, providing daily briefing for the commanding officer.
According to Wessel, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Cottleville.
“Serving in the Navy means maintaining a family tradition of service on both my mom’s and dad’s side of the family,” Wessel said. “Plus, it means that I can do anything I want to, for the most part.”
A 2001 graduate of Francis Howell High School, Wessel previously worked as a correctional officer and decided to join the navy for financial stability, and has since earned three warfare pins.