Petty Officer 2nd Class Corisha Drummond, a Woodruff native, is currently serving in the U.S. Navy aboard Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Bougainville, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
PCU is a designation used by the U.S. Navy to describe crews aboard vessels under construction prior to official commissioning. Navy officials note the shipbuilding industry as a strong priority of the Secretary of the Navy and a national security asset that strengthens deterrence, enhances global readiness and keeps the fleet forward.
Drummond graduated from Woodruff High School in 2013. She joined the Navy 12 years ago, following in her uncle’s footsteps, and today serves as an operations specialist. For her, the skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those she found in Woodruff.
“I learned to keep striving to be your best,” Drummond said.
As a large-deck assault ship, Bougainville is nearly three football fields long, with a crew of more than 1,200 that can support up to 1,800 troops and their equipment. It is the second ship named in honor of the Bougainville World War II campaign. As Drummond and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.
“Serving in the military means the world to me,” Drummond said. “It gives me an opportunity to better myself while protecting the ones I love.”
She added, “I am proud to have the opportunity to serve for as long as I have and keep the motivation to continue with my service.”
Drummond is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible and notes her family as strong supporters of her career.
