OKWNEWS Exclusive
Brayden Joe Prewett, a 2016 Konawa High School graduate, is currently in Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. OC Prewett left Konawa October 3rd to begin Officer Candidate School, 17 weeks of intense training. OKWNEWS was able to interview OC Prewett earlier this week. Below is the transcript of that interview.
Hello, Officer Candidate Prewett, I am David Deaton, owner and editor of OKWNEWS.com an online news site. Congratulations on reaching Officer Candidacy! Working to achieve your goal of becoming an officer has, no doubt been both trying and rewarding. I thought interviewing you by email would be beneficial as you can respond as you have time and be able to see the questions and take you time with the response rather than having to respond immediately. I appreciate your taking time to respond to this email and answer a few questions for our readers.
OKW: First, start by giving us some biographical information about you. Include something about your past, both civilian and military. Tell us about your family & growing up:
OC Prewett: I am the youngest of four and we all grew up in Konawa, Oklahoma. I graduated high school in 2016 from Konawa, and attended college at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. While I was in high school, I obtained a private pilot’s license and grew a love for flying.
OKW: Why did you chose a career in the military (why Navy)
OC Prewett: I had always known that I wanted to be in the military, and once I started flying I knew that I wanted to be a naval aviator. The Navy offers a unique experience for pilots and that is the opportunity to be launched and recovered on aircraft carriers. This is one of my goals while I am in the Navy.
OKW: Where have you been stationed?
OC Prewett: I am an accession, so before arriving to Newport, Rhode Island I was living in Ada, OK. An accession is a civilian prior to arriving to Officer Candidate School.
OKW: What has been your favorite part of being in the Navy?
OC Prewett: Although I have only experienced the Navy though Officer Candidate school, we have a lot of prior service men and women in our class. I have had the opportunity to pick their brains about what the Navy is about, and I have learned that everyone is on the same team. We are all working towards a common goal.
OKW: Next, tell us about your experience in Officer Candidacy. What have you had to do to prepare for the 13 weeks of training? What has been the most difficult part of OC preparation?
OC Prewett: In preparation for Officer Candidate School my focus was getting in the best shape I could to complete and be physically fit for the program. My next major focus was to get ready for the different inspections in which we needed to have material memorized. During these inspections we needed to be able to say things verbatim, no less words or any extra words. My most difficult part of Officer Candidate School is how fast everything is moving. This is a 13-week course which develops civilians into Naval Officers. We will be leading enlisted personal in the fleet after we graduate, therefore we must be ready for anything we are going to be faced with.
OKW: What would you like to tell young people thinking about joining the military, especially the Navy, and becoming an officer?
OC Prewett: Becoming a Naval Officer puts you in a leadership position from day one. There will always be subordinates looking up at you seeing your every move. Officers have a direct impact on their enlisted counterparts. I have heard stories about how different officers have changed the lives for enlisted sailors. Officer Candidate School offers a lot of opportunities to work on different skills and the most important trait for a Naval Officer is leadership. In our class we have four major leadership positions, but a leader can emerge at any minute.
OKW: What else would you like to tell our readers?
OC Prewett: I would like to make a point that anyone can do anything no matter where they are from. My hometown only has about 1200 people. Most of my peers were not able to travel or experience certain things, but the Navy will pay you to do it. I have learned through this experience that the only person that will inhibit you is yourself. There are so many opportunities within the Navy that the sky is the limit. I had set my goals high and was not sure along the way if I was able to obtain them. Through hard work and constantly working towards that goal I am just a few steps away from becoming a Naval Aviator.
Photos provided by OC Prewett.
