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MILLINGTON, Tenn. — A Port Neches native is serving aboard USS Essex, a U.S. Navy Wasp class amphibious assault ship.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Yailine Obregon is a 2018 graduate of Port Neches High School and a Northern Virginia Community College graduate.

Today, Obregon serves as a Navy hospital corpsman responsible for providing medical care to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families.

“My job in civilian terms would compare to an EMT or LVN,” Obregon said. “It’s a fast-paced clinical job.”

Obregon joined the Navy three years ago for the educational opportunities and to travel abroad.

According to Obregon, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Port Neches.

“My hometown instilled in me a lot of Southern hospitality and kindness,” Obregon said. “It taught me to stay humble and kind everywhere I go, which goes a long way day-to-day.

“In the Navy, you have to work for everything you want. Everyone comes from a different background, so don’t judge a person by first impressions. Also, time management is very important, and you’re gonna be in situations that you don’t like, but everything is going to be OK in the end.”

Home ported in San Diego, California, USS Essex is the second ship in the Wasp-class of multipurpose amphibious assault ships and the fifth ship named for Essex County, Massachusetts.

Essex was a 1000-ton ironclad river gunboat of the U.S. Army and later U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.

According to Navy officials, amphibious assault ships are designed to deliver U.S. Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions, ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts.

Designed to be versatile, the ship has the option of simultaneously using helicopters, Harrier jets, and Landing Craft Air Cushioned, as well as conventional landing craft and assault vehicles in various combinations.

“I enjoy the character development here,” Obregon said. “I like having to adjust to a more consuming, demanding job that not a lot of people get to do, while learning more medical knowledge than I could get at any other command.”

Though there are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers, Obregon is most proud of advancing in rank to petty officer third class, having the opportunity to travel from the East Coast to West Coast and completing her college courses.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Obregon, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.

Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“Serving in the Navy means doing more than myself,” Obregon said. “The Navy has given me the opportunity to be in control of my future and to support its cause by doing the job I love and have always wanted.”