A 2017 Nutley High School graduate and Nutley, N.J., native is serving our country in the Navy, living on the coast of Spain, and participating in a critical NATO ballistic missile defense (BMD) mission while assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook.
Seaman Dayon Staniger is serving aboard one of the four advanced warships forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, a small village on the country’s southwest coast 65 miles south of the city of Seville.
A Navy seaman is responsible for the well being of the deck; painting outside surfaces, sweeping, cleaning, and preserving the appearance of the ship.
Staniger credits success in the Navy with lessons learned growing up in Nutley.
“Being raised in a playfully sarcastic family, I grew up just as sassy as my parents were and I find that especially helpful in the Navy as you have to be thick-skinned towards a lot of people,” said Staniger.
The ship is named after Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam prisoner of war, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Donald G. Cook.
“Donald Cook’s crew is second to none in competency, resiliency and enthusiasm,” said Cmdr. Matthew J. Powel, commanding officer of USS Donald Cook. “This team comes in to work every day ready to accomplish the mission in one of the most demanding sea duty schedules the Navy has to offer and I couldn’t be more proud to be their captain.”
The hard work and professionalism of more than 300 women and men aboard Donald Cook are a testament to the namesake’s dedication and the ship’s motto, “Faith Without Fear.”
The crew is motivated, and can quickly adapt to changing conditions, according to Navy officials. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches and drills. Serving aboard a guided-missile destroyer instills accountability and toughness and fosters initiative and integrity.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Staniger and other USS Donald Cook sailors know they are a part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy has allowed me to think about the activities I’m doing rather than just blindly do what I’m told. I actually think about the activities,” said Staniger.
