Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Masters is a hospital corpsman serving in Guam.
A 2005 Toledo High School graduate and Toledo, Washington native is serving with the U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Masters is a hospital corpsman serving with the hospital in Guam
A Navy hospital corpsman is responsible for the prevention and treatment of disease and injury, assisting health care professionals in providing medical care to personnel, conducting preliminary physical examinations, as well as performing medical administrative, supply and accounting procedures.
“The daily test of utilizing all my skills, especially working in nuclear medicine, is what prepares me for anything and prepares me for life in the Navy as well as outside the Navy,” Masters said.
Masters credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Toledo.
“I learned from my parents that if you want something in life, you need to go and get it,” said Masters. “You need to be willing to work hard for what you want.”
Naval Hospital Guam is comprised of the main hospital in Agana Heights and two branch clinics, medical and dental, on Naval Base Guam. The hospital’s staff consists of 516 active duty and 201 civilians, contractors, reservists and volunteers who serve more than 26,000 beneficiaries.
According to officials at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet headquarters in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the ships, submarines, aircraft and Navy personnel forward-deployed to Guam are part of the world’s largest fleet command and serve in a region critical to U.S. national security. The U.S. Pacific Fleet encompasses 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean. All told, there are more than 200 ships and submarines, nearly 1,200 aircraft and more than 130,000 uniformed and civilian personnel serving in the Pacific.
"Camaraderie is what is great about this place,” said Masters. “Also being away from family, it’s good to know you can count on others here. I also like being the mentor for others and helping them get through the tough times.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Masters’ proudest achievement is coordinating the 120th Hospital Guam Corpsman Ball. He was able to help raise $41,000 in four and a half months to get the ball funded.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Masters and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means that I can give back to my country,” said Masters. “I’m able to give back to those who have served before me. I’m also a part of something bigger.”
