Norfolk, VA — Petty Officer 3rd Class Noah Brown, a native of Rising Sun, was advanced to the next pay grade through the Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) while serving aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, on March 2.
The MAP Program is intended to give commanding officers the opportunity to recognize their best Sailors by advancing them when they demonstrate they are ready for the next level of responsibility.
“Being advanced means a lot to me, because I plan on making a career out of the Navy and these first few years will be my stepping stones to a full career,” said Brown. “With this MAP, it will only drive me harder to go above and beyond in my duty.”
As a hospital corpsman, Brown assists healthcare professionals in providing medical care to Navy personnel and their families.
Brown has served in the Navy for one year.
Brown is a 2021 graduate of Rising Sun High School.
Amphibious assault ships, such as USS Iwo Jima, project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the Amphibious Readiness Group/Expeditionary Strike Group.
Amphibious Readiness Groups provide the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter in addition to movement by landing craft.
USS Iwo Jima has supported major humanitarian assistance and combat operations in which the United States has been involved.
USS Iwo Jima is named for the battle of Iwo Jima fought in 1945, in which three divisions of U.S. Marines took control of a tiny island from more than 20,000 enemy defenders.
The ship’s motto is a quote from Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz: “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”
There were 27 U.S. service members awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima, more than any other single operation during World War II.
(Story by the United States Navy Office of Community Outreach)