This Kitchen won't sink: one man's life in the U.S. Navy
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer
U.S. Navy 3rd Class Petty Officer Justin Kitchen said that when he was a freshman at Woodbridge High School, the thought of enlisting in the United States Navy was the furthest from his mind.

U.S. Navy 3rd Class Petty Officer Justin Kitchen

"I saw myself in college concentrating in criminal justice and either wrestling or playing baseball," said Kitchen, 21.

However, after taking a few college courses, Kitchen, who graduated from Woodbridge High School in 2004, decided college was not for him.

"I enlisted in the Navy in part to kind of get away from Woodbridge [where he has lived all his life]," he said.

Kitchen, who did not tell his parents about his decision to enlist in the Navy until after the fact, said it did not settle well with his parents at first.

"I was not happy," recalls Kitchen's mother, Barbara. "My father served in the U.S. Navy, but I just thought Justin at 19 years old had made a rash decision. But as I saw himexcelling in boot camp and the job that he does as an engineer, I have come to realize that he has found his niche …the Navy fits him very well."

Kitchen is the youngest of Steven and Barbara Kitchen's three children.

"I have an older brother, Eddie, and an older sister,Amy," he said.

Kitchen, who comes from a long line of military lineage, enlisted in the Navy in April 2006.

"My two cousins - Alec and Christopher - are serving in the U.S. Navy, and my grandfather Donald also served in the Navy," he said. "I also just learned from my grandmother that more of my family served in the military, mostly with the Navy."

Kitchen, who was home on a two-week "mini vacation" from the naval station in Norfolk, Va., spent time with family and friends. The sailor arrived in his hometown at 3 a.m. Feb. 12 and is expected to report back to duty at the Naval Station on Feb. 29.

"I joke with him that I'm not letting him go back," said Barbara.

A banner on the front of his home on Trinity Lane reads "Welcome Home Justin."

One of his pit stops was made to his earlier almamater,Mawbey Street Elementary School No. 1, on Feb. 13 to surprise his 6-yearold niece,MadisonMikosz, a firstgrader at the school.

"I was glad I was able to surprise her," said Kitchen, who was dressed in his winter blue uniform. "Madison lives closest tome in Fords, and my other two nieces - Emily, 9, and Ellie, 1,- live in Hillsborough."

Kitchen visited the school with his high school friend James Aleszczyk, now a U.S. Marine lance corporal, who also was visiting.

"Most of my friends that I graduated with have joined the military," he said. "It's weird seeing everyone at our age of 21 and 22, because I still see us as we were when we were kids."

Kitchen said he is amazed to see how much his nieces have grown up since he has been gone.

"Emily is not as shy as she was, and Ellie started walking when I was away- and she's calling me 'Uncle J' now," he said.

The sailor also said he was amazed to see how much his hometown has changed.

"All the sections of the township look different," he said. "I have been gone sinceMay 2007 in preparation for my deployment in July - it has been the longest time I have been away from home."

Kitchen said he must have gained 15 pounds since he has been home.

"The food is not great on the ship, and we are constantly working and moving," he said. "I'll probably gain another 10 pounds before I leave."

Kitchen lives in Virginia Beach with a fellow sailor, Alex, and Alex's wife, Kristen.

"You think of Virginia Beach as a vacation spot, but not for us," he said. "When we are not on our ship, we travel to Norfolk to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. I met Alex [who is assigned to the USS Kearsarge] during school and boot camp with the Navy. Alex and his wife are expecting a baby boy, Jason Alexander, on April 15, and I will become his godfather."

On Aug. 1, 2007, Kitchen left Norfolk as one of the crew of 300 sailors on the USS Porter.

"I know everybody on the ship; however,my cousin is stationed on a carrier, which has thousands of sailors … he meets someone new every day," said Kitchen, who said his ship is described as the smallest ship in the game of Battleship.

"The majority of the time, we were on the ship," Kitchen said. "We only hit seven or eight ports where we can have fun and relax. We heard that the last crews hit about 20 ports."

Kitchen said the U.S. Navy was a big adjustment for him.

"I consider myself a rebellious person," he said. "If someone asks me to do something, I'll do it, but I wasn't good when someone started yelling at me. It was a big adjustment, but that's what I needed, I needed some structure …it made me grow up."

Kitchen said working on the ship and also sleeping in the same ship is hard for long periods of time.

"You're with the same people 24-7," he said. "I have made a lot of good friends, but it's hard."

Kitchen said coming home and not speaking in Navy terminology was a challenge.

"It's like another language," he said. "It's tough because the Navy is my life 24-7 and I'm so used to terminology."

Kitchen, who is an engineer on the Porter, has been to seven countries, including Greece, Oman, Kenya, Italy and Seychelles.

"It has been interesting," he said.Kitchen plans to continue as an engineer with the Navy.

"I like engineering … we are a tight-knit family," he said. "I have learned to fight fires, which I never would have if not for the military. It easily gets to 110 degrees in the engine room.We can't fulfill our mission if the engine doesn't go or something is broken. I believe we are the hardest working on the ship."

In October and November 2007, Kitchen's crew, while patrolling the coast of Somalia, intercepted a hijacked ship with pirates on it.

"These pirates weren't the ones with the swords, they were the ones with guns and shoulder rockets," he said. "We were not allowed to communicate with anyone during that time, and we ran into the situation so fast that we weren't able to even say that we weren't able to communicate.We followed them for about five to six weeks."

Kitchen's parents found out about their son's ordeal through CNN and Fox News.

Kitchen added that he wasn't able to call his mom for her birthday on Halloween, but he did call her before her birthday.

"I was able talk to my family for the first time on Thanksgiving," he said.

Madison answered the phone.

"She's talking, and I asked, 'Madison, who is it?' " said Barbara. "She said, 'Uncle J'… I didn't expect his call."

The phone call through satellite got accidentally disconnected.

"I was waiting on the phone thinking Madison was going to pass the phone on, and she said, 'OK, bye,' " and the phone disconnected," said Kitchen.

The sailor said communication is usually difficult on the ship.

"I called back, but wasn't able to talk to my family until three and a half hours later," he said.

"Steve [Justin's father] picked up the phone and told Justin that he was not going to give back the phone to his niece," said Barbara with a laugh.

Kitchen said he didn't realize howmany people support themilitary until he became a sailor.

"I received packages from the Veterans of ForeignWars posts [in the township]," he said. "The support is overwhelming."

Kitchen also said he received a card froma family he didn't know, thanking him for his service.

Barbara, who works for the township, said there is not a day that goes by that she doesn't get an e-mail asking how Justin is.

"It really doesmake a difference in dealing with it," she said. "We joined the Blue Star Flag, which has been a major support for families and provides so much information."

Kitchen, who has about another three to four years with the Navy, said he still is on the fence about staying in the Navy after his tour is up.

"It depends on where I aminmy life," he said. "I may have a job lined up or I may have started a family."

As Kitchen talked about his experience with the Navy, Homer, the family's 7-yearold golden retriever, awaited his turn for time with the young sailor.

"I came down to get food and he actually followed me up to my room and just sat there watching me…he never did that before," he said.

Kitchen'smother added thatHomer has been attached to her son's hip since he has been home.

"He knows that Justin has been away," she said.