Jessica Murray was prepared for the physical challenges that came with training in Navy boot camp.
The 18-year-old Robbinsville resident played varsity soccer at the High School and holds a third degree blackbelt—she was previously employed as a karate instructor.
It was the mental challenges during Recruit Training Command in Illinois, where all U.S. Navy enlistees must begin their career, that revealed themselves to be the toughest hurdles for her.
“They would get in your face, yell a lot, and mess with your mind,” she says. “I had moments where I wanted to give up, but that’s where your shipmates come in. They come back and help put you back in the right mindset.”
Despite the challenges, Murray prevailed throughout the eight weeks. Not only did she make it through boot camp, she graduated as top sailor from Division 399, which had a total of around 830 other recruits.
Her accomplishment earned her the Military Excellence Award on Oct. 25.
“The MEA is awarded to the recruit that best exemplifies the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork. The award placed Murray at the pinnacle of today’s newest sailors,” says a press release issued by Recruit Training Command’s public affairs.
Murray’s honor did not come as a surprise for Robbinsville High School resource officer Edward Vincent, who got to know Murray through her participation in the Robbinsville Township Police Department’s high school internship program senior year, calling her the best intern he’s ever had.
“When I saw she won the award I was super happy but honestly not surprised in the least that this girl beat out 800 cadets to get the award,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is someone that has worked so hard and it clearly shows.’”
The internship program is for high school seniors and was one of the many activities on Murray’s busy schedule before she graduated last spring.
“One time I remember saying to her, ‘Why do you look so tired?’” he said, discovering it was due to her heavy involvement in a range of activities. “She was just a kid that was so driven and knew what she wanted and didn’t want to give it up at any cost, whether it was school, soccer, working out, karate…she would do it all in one day. Then she’d come to school and do whatever we asked of her in the program.”
Murray says the award represents breaking boundaries.
“This award makes me want to push myself even further, and it hasn’t really hit me yet,” she says.
Another challenge Murray faced was stepping outside of her hometown and learning to work with recruits from all over with vastly different backgrounds.
“It was really hard towards the beginning because you don’t know everyone or their personalities. Once you’re able to work as a team you realize that you’re all going through the same thing and it gets easier,” she says, realizing that one cannot make it in boot camp alone.
“Growing up in a small town, everyone knew everyone,” Murray said in the press release. “Meeting all new people from all over, with many different personalities, was hard. I was able to overcome this by understanding people’s personalities and finding those who I could connect with to help get through the toughness of boot camp.”
Earlier this year, she graduated in Robbinsville High School’s Class of 2019, where she was in the National Honor Society and World Language Society before heading off to boot camp.
In Lawrence, she was a petty officer first class with the John T. Dempster Division Sea Cadets, which her parents and younger brother Jeremy are involved in.
Her mom, Stacy Murray, is a lieutenant junior grade and an administrative officer, and her father, Robert Murray, is a financial officer in the John T. Sea Cadets.
She admits Jeremy, who is two years younger than her, was her inspiration for joining the Sea Cadets which lead her to the Navy. He joined when he was 11 years old and Murray eventually joined when she was around 13 years old.
When asked why she is pursuing the Naval military branch as opposed to the others, Murray says, “I really like the water and don’t want to be stuck in the desert. I want to travel the world, and the Navy affords me these opportunities.”
She also joined the Navy because she says she wants to help others and serve something other than herself.
“My community has helped me in many ways and my goal is to give back and not only help, but also protect others who cannot protect themselves,” said Murray in the press release.
During RTC, the recruits stayed in building compartments they called ships. Murray was in ship 12, saying there was around 17 other ships.
Murray says she was in ship 12 with around 80 other recruits. “We ended up calling it home because we were in there so much.”
By the time the eight weeks were up, she says her group dwindled down to around 60 other recruits.
“People drop for a lot of different reasons,” she said. “Some people weren’t very active so the physical aspects were harder. Even the physical activities had a way of getting to you mentally. You’re either in it mentally or you’re not.”
Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline.
Murray believes that her earning the MEA may have been a combination of physical fitness scores, performance in her compartment, leadership aspects and an interview.
She credits her Recruit Division Commanders and Logistics Specialist for their guidance during RTC.
“Chief Dovala, Petty Officer Wooten, and Petty Officer Kengere always held me to the highest standards and made sure that I always gave one 100 percent. Petty Officer Kengere also always played encouraging speeches and gave many motivating talks that pushed me to go further and be better. I would like to thank each of them for all that they did for the division and pushing me to be the best I could be,” Murray said.
She has been assigned the rate of machinist mate (nuclear) and is already on to the next chapter in her naval career.
“Jess is goal oriented and very driven, she knew exactly what she wanted in life and I thought the Navy would be perfect for her,” Vincent said. “She’s going to set the world on fire and going to do amazing.”
Murray is now attending Nuclear Machinist’s Mate “A” School in Charleston, South Carolina and will stay there for two years.
Machinist Mate duties include operating reactor control, propulsion and power generation systems in nuclear propulsion plants. Murray will have the choice between serving on an aircraft carrier or submarine.
Afterwards, she will go to Nuclear Propulsion School and Prototype School.
“I’m excited to get out there and see different cultures, immerse myself in those cultures, try new foods, and get to know the world, not just Robbinsville,” Murray said.
Jessica Murray.,
