Sailor Story: From U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps to Naval Flight Officer

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Sailor: Lieutenant Junior Grade Thea Peck, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla.
Mom: Nina Dozoretz, Rockville, Md.

Growing up, Lt. j.g. Thea Peck learned quite a bit about military life through her mother, Nina Dozoretz, who served in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). USPHS is responsible for a variety of the nation’s health needs, including responding to national emergencies and public crises. The service often works with the military, which is why, as a USPHS officer, Dozoretz’s mom was stationed close to Navy bases.

Early on, Peck’s parents noticed their daughter’s interest in military activities around their home and encouraged her to join the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a youth organization that teaches members about the Navy, community service, citizenship and leadership.

“Thea had a natural curiosity about what happened on the military bases because we lived so close to them,” Dozoretz says. “When we brought home information, she expressed interest and then thrived with the Sea Cadet program.”

Her participation in the Sea Cadet Corps exposed her to Navy life and helped her become socially involved with kids her age with similar interests. Her enjoyment in the program showed, and in 2002, she was named Naval Sea Cadet of the Year.

In high school, Peck’s interest in the Navy continued. She applied for the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program and received a full scholarship to Boston University in Massachusetts. During her college years, she participated in drill weekends, specialized classes and summer training sessions. Though this added work to a rigorous course load, Peck continued to enjoy her Navy involvement.

Like many college students, Peck spent time traveling in Europe for the summer, sailing through the Mediterranean and soaking up the local culture. Peck’s vessel of choice was not a cruise ship, however; it was the USS Kearsarge, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. The summer cruise was part of her NROTC training and where she found her wings, so to speak.

“The cruise on the Kearsarge was my first experience on a working ship, which was really interesting, and also led me into aviation,” Peck says. “The helicopters aboard the ship really sparked my interest.”

She graduated from Boston University in spring 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. Shortly after, Peck began aviation training. First stop was Naval Air Station Pensacola (NAS Pensacola) for flight school and then she spent time at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas for further flight training. On May 2, 2008, she earned her wings as a Naval Flight Officer.

Today, Peck is based at NAS Jacksonville where her childhood dreams are coming true. As part of the Fleet Replenishment Squadron, she is training on the P3 Orion, a surveillance warfare plane. After seven months of training, she will receive duty orders to one of three U.S. based Naval Air Stations.

Peck’s mother is not surprised at the career her “very strong and focused” daughter chose, remarking, “When she was younger, she loved the smell of jet fuel as the fighter jets would fly by our house. Go figure!”

“The aviation community is very tight. I’m just getting started, but I already feel like it’s a home,” Peck says.


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080521-N-7571S-001 NEW YORK (May 21, 2008) The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) steams up the Hudson River during the parade of ships for Fleet Week New York 2008. More than 4,000 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen will participate in various community relations projects and make a port call to New York City. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder (Released)