A native of Belvidere, Illinois, a Petty Officer First Class Cody Ruvolo, joined the Navy for the opportunity to travel and see the world. “As an 18-year-old out of high school, I didn’t know how much the Navy had to offer,” said Ruvolo. “I just wanted to see the world. Of course, now I’m glad I stayed.”
Ten years later, Ruvolo serves as a master-at-arms at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport, located in Newport, Rhode Island. “Being with the security forces, it’s important to teach values and lessons so that our sailors make decisions that help people in the community,” said Ruvolo.
Ruvolo attended Belvidere North High School and graduated in 2011. Today, Ruvolo uses the same skills and values learned in Belvidere to succeed in the military. “Growing up in Belvidere, I learned the importance of community,” said Ruvolo. “The same applies for our time in the Navy. We have to help each other.” These lessons have helped Ruvolo while serving at NAVSTA Newport.
Home to 50 Navy, Marine Corps Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve commands and activities, NAVSTA Newport’s mission is to fulfill the diverse requirements of its tenant commands by providing the facilities and infrastructure that are essential to their optimum performance.
Thousands of students pass through NAVSTA Newport’s on-base schools from all parts of the United States and many free nations around the world. These schools include the Navy Supply Corps School, the Center for Service Support, the U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Logistics School, and the prestigious Naval War College. For this reason, the base is the Navy’s premier site for training officers, officer candidates, senior enlisted personnel and midshipman candidates, as well as testing and evaluating advanced undersea warfare and development systems.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States are directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Serving as a sailor and contributing to the Navy the Nation needs requires a combination of dedication and sacrifice, but Ruvolo believes the accomplishments achieved along the way make the hard work worth it.
“I’m most proud of my wife and daughter,” said Ruvolo. “One hundred percent the most important thing in my life, is my daughter.”
As Ruvolo and other sailors continue to serve, they take pride knowing they are making a difference for future generations.
“When I first joined, I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” added Ruvolo. “Now, I want to give my time to support the mission that protects our nation as a whole.”