In celebration of the 46th anniversary of the Legalman rating, the following news article -- released by the Navy Office of Community Outreach and highlighting the contributions of Legalman 2nd Class Nikki Millican -- was selected as this week's #BZFriday blog post. Bravo Zulu, LN2 -- keep up the great work!
Moultrie, Ga., native and Colquitt County High School graduate, Petty Officer 2nd Class Nikki Millican is serving on one of the world’s largest warships, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Millican works as a legalman aboard the Norfolk-based ship, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and one of only ten operational aircraft carriers in the Navy today. Legalmen are the sailors responsible for performing paralegal duties under the direction and supervision of judge advocates in providing and administering legal services.
“I like the challenge this job gives me,” said Millican. “My limits are pushed every day, and I know the challenges are ultimately making me a better person and sailor.”
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Eisenhower. Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the ship’s company, and they keep all parts of the aircraft carrier running smoothly. They do everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the nuclear reactors. Another 2,000 sailors comprise the air wing, the people who fly and maintain the aircraft aboard the ship.
Eisenhower, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship, and those planes land upon their return to the aircraft carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft. All of this makes Eisenhower a self-contained mobile airport and strike platform, often the first response to a global crisis because of an aircraft carrier’s ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans.
“I like the camaraderie and diversity on board,” said Millican. “Deployment was fun, and I enjoyed seeing so many new places.”
Eisenhower was commissioned in 1977 and named after former president and Army general Dwight D. Eisenhower, who distinguished himself through service and leadership during World War II. As the supreme commander of Allied Forces in Western Europe during World War II, Eisenhower led the massive invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
“Every sailor aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower plays an integral part in our success, from the engineering and reactor spaces to the galley and flight deck, and everywhere in between, and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Capt. Paul Spedero Jr., commanding officer of Ike. “Our many successes are built on their sacrifices and the strength they provide each and every day.”
As members of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Millican and other Eisenhower sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“I joined the Navy for my daughter, and I’m honored to serve on her behalf.” Millican said.