NORFOLK, Va. — Petty Officer 2nd Class Immanuel Mitchell, a native of Clinton, serves aboard USS Cole, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
Mitchell graduated from Lakewood High School in 2018. Additionally, Mitchell earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and criminal justice from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2021.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Clinton.
“Growing up, I was taught to work hard and over time people will see you’re different and special,” Mitchell said. “Grind in silence because people are always watching, no matter what.”
Mitchell joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Mitchell serves as a gas turbine system technician (electrical).
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to create change and show my city there’s a life outside of our small community,” Mitchell said.
This October marks 25 years since the deadly terrorist attack on Cole while the ship was refueling in Yemen. The explosion, carried out by two al-Qaida suicide bombers, killed 17 sailors, wounded 37 more and blew a 40-foot-wide hole in the side of the ship. The crew worked tirelessly for more than 96 hours to free their shipmates trapped by the blast, limit flooding that threatened to sink the ship and address other issues that could have led to catastrophic fires that would have cost the lives of more sailors.
The ship, nicknamed the “Determined Warrior,” returned to the fleet in April 2002 after 14 months of repairs and has served on numerous deployments since, including most recently in 2024, spending seven months in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Gulf providing deterrence and defense to U.S. allies and partners.
Cole is a Navy destroyer, a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a Phalanx close-in weapons system.
More than 300 sailors serve aboard Cole. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90 percent of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Mitchell has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of becoming the first petty officer third class aboard the ship to receive my Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pin,” Mitchell said. “I’m proud because I worked day in and day out for a month and a half studying for this. Any time someone tells me they’re working for their ESWS, I challenge them to beat my month and a half.”
Mitchell serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means I have a chance to show the world what I’m made of,” Mitchell said. “It’s another way to set myself apart.”
Mitchell is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would love to thank my mom, Augustine Mitchell, my dad, Derrick Mitchell Sr., my brother, Derrick Mitchell Jr., and my sister, Rilya Mitchell, for constantly pushing me to become better and always seeing the best in me when others didn’t,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell offered advice for anyone in need of encouragement.
“Have fun and live your life,” Mitchell added. “You only get one chance sometimes.”