Navy Reserve Commander Visits Fargo Sailors

The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Reserve pays a special visit to Fargo to see more than 60 citizen sailors.
 
It’s always nice to hear a good job from the boss, but when it comes from the Commander-in-Chief you know you’re doing something right.

And sailors weren’t the only ones who received a special thank you.
 
Vice Admiral Robin Braun comes from a military family, and right after graduating college, Admiral Braun followed the same path.
 
“A recent college graduate I realized the navy was taking the first women to become aviators,” says Vice Admiral Robin Braun.

Breaking ground as a female pilot back in 1979, and in 2012 she did the same, becoming the first navy reserve female commander.
 
“All of these people serve by choice, they love what they do and they need to go where the nation needs them to go,” says Admiral Braun.
 
And for that she wants to extend her gratitude, but not just to the sailors.

Since most of the sailors also hold a full time civilian job, Admiral Braun also extends her thanks to their employers.
 
“Scheels is just excellent as far as taking me off the schedule and not having any issues with that,” says Navy Reserve Sailor, Seth Jordan.
 
Seth Jordan joined the Navy Reserve back when he was 22.

In addition to monthly drill meetings and sporadic training sessions across the country, he also works as a fishing manager at Scheels Sports arena.
 
“They work in all different fields but they have that one dedication and that is serving part time in the military,” says Admiral Braun.
 
“While it’s the first time Admiral Braun has come to this Navy Reserve Center, it’s not the first time she’s come to Fargo.  In fact, she’s come here before with her civilian job as a Fed Ex pilot.”
 
“I’ve done many trips into Fargo bringing Fed Ex cargo,” says Admiral Braun.
 
“I hope that she’s able to really connect with the local sailors in the community here and see the value that we provide and the strategic depth that we offer to the Navy,” says Navy Reserve Sailor, Anthony Bossoletti.
 
Currently, Fargo has sailors serving in Dgibouti, Africa, Afghanistan and Korea.

“I hope she learns that although we’re small we’re strong,” says Jordan.
 
As Admiral Braun salutes the men and women who make up Fargo’s Navy Reserve, it’s a reminder to thank their service dogs too.

There was one other special sailor who received a personal thank you from the Admiral, but he wasn’t at the base.

Instead, Admiral Braun stopped by Touch Mark Senior Center to thank 100-year-old Jim Wilkins.

Wilkins was with the Navy Reserve for 21 years, four of those years were active duty.

Wilkins says he got a call the admiral wanted to speak with him, and he couldn’t wait.

“Wonderful in all my 21 years of Navy service I never met an admiral.  I met a captain once on board a carrier out in the Pacific, but never an admiral,” says 100-year-old Navy Reserve Sailor, Jim Wilkins.

Wilkins says he’s served on Navy units from Texas to Chicago.

When Wilkins was getting ready to meet the admiral, he said he couldn’t find any of his Navy accessories.

So one of the sailors handed over his Navy Reserve tie clip to make sure he was ready to meet the admiral.