KINGS BAY, Ga. (828newsNOW) — Petty Officer 1st Class Parker White, a Black Mountain native and 2011 graduate of The Asheville School, is serving aboard the USS Tennessee, a U.S. Navy submarine based at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
White, a machinist’s mate, is among a select group of submariners carrying on a 125-year Navy tradition of service beneath the sea, working to safeguard national security through stealth and strength.
“I joined the Navy looking for a job,” White said. “I tried college for a couple of years but didn’t like the debt that was accumulating. I tried several different jobs but was exhausted working so many different jobs just trying to get by.”
White, who enlisted a decade ago, said the lessons learned growing up in a small town like Black Mountain — hard work and teamwork — prepared him well for the close-knit world of submariners.
“I learned the importance of working with other people,” White said. “If you try hard enough, you’ll be able to get the job done.”