Petty Officer 2nd Class Tiana Martinez, a native of Escondido, is serving aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans.

Martinez, a 2017 graduate of Valley Center High School, was inspired by her father, a Marine who served for 21 years, to join the U.S. Navy.

Today, Martinez serves as a gas turbine system technician (mechanical) responsible for taking care of the gas turbine generators and working on various electrical mechanics on board the ship.

“Working on The Sullivans is very rewarding,” Martinez said. “I get more experience everyday and it’s really helped me mature.”

According to Navy officials, The Sullivans is named to honor five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, who served together on the USS Juneau during World War II. The Sullivan brothers — George, 28; Francis, 27; Joseph, 24; Madison, 23; and Albert, 20 — lost their lives during the Battle of Guadalcanal on Nov. 13, 1942. They were adamant about serving together in spite of the Navy wartime policy to separate family members. This was the greatest military loss by any one American family during World War II.

The Sullivans recently underwent a routine maintenance period after completing a seven-month global deployment where they participated in multinational operations and joint training exercises with international partners to foster positive relationships while ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security.

— By Stephanie G. Fox,
Navy Office of Community Outreach

OsideNews, an edition of the North Coast Current, offers military outreach offices the opportunity to share news about local service members by submitting press releases for publication. They can be sent to osidenews[at]northcoastcurrent.com.