Photo providedPetty Officer First Class Christopher Wooley

Name: Petty Officer First Class Christopher Wooley

Age: 28

Hometown: Sparta, Tenn.

Job Title/Department: Watch commander.

Years at the Naval Air Station? 3 years. I will transfer to Okinawa, Japan in a few weeks. I’ve been stationed overseas, but never Okinawa. This will be my first accompanied tour overseas that my family will be with me, I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture and the food.

Family: Wife, A’na; daughter, Adliyah, 4; and son, Colton, 8.

Years in the Navy? 9

Describe the training the Navy gives you to become a Master at Arms? After boot camp, I went to Lackland Air Force Base for specialized training for three months which includes lethal and non-lethal weapons, tactical team movements, basic police administrative duties and how to collect evidence, and emergency vehicle operations. The school was very physically demanding, I just put myself in a learning mindset and focused on what it took for me to get through.

Over the years, the Navy has sent me to half a dozen different schools and courses to keep myself sharp and up-to-date with new procedures.

Why did you choose to become a Master at Arms? I always wanted to be a police officer, but at 19 I was too young for Tennessee requirements – you must be 21 years old. In fact, it was my mother who noticed an ad in the newspaper for the military. I called it, a recruiter came to visit me at my home and the rest is history.

Do you have any family members in the armed forces? My great-grandfather was in the Navy in World War II.

What has been your most gratifying experience as a security/police officer? Working with some of the best people I have ever met throughout my career. For me, it’s the little things, when someone says ‘thank you’ that makes my job worthwhile.

Would you encourage one of your children to pursue a career in the armed forces? Yes, I want my kids to do what makes them happy. The military was not my first choice but after learning more about it – I couldn’t think of doing anything else.

What would you have done if you had not joined the Navy? Continued to work in the fast food industry, until I was old enough to join my hometown police department.

When not working, what are your interests? Spending time with family. There is nothing more important to me than family – they always come first.

Tell us something about you people would be surprised to learn? “I was scared of the thought of experiencing tear gas in boot camp, but I did it. And then, later on, I realized tear gas was nothing compared to the OC spray (pepper spray) that as police officers we must have sprayed in our eyes to complete our training course.”