One seaman’s career: Chief Stacey Brown
Chief Stacey D. Brown
Teresa B. Henneghan submitted this account of her son’s military career. Chief Stacey D. Brown retired from the Navy and is a resident of Darlington County. Stacey Brown was born March 7, 1978, in Florence, raised by Steve and Rosella (Brown) McElveen (parents) and Blanche Brown (grandmother, deceased), both of Darlington. He was raised with his siblings Teresa (Brown) Henneghan (sister), Tyrone C. Brown (brother, deceased) and Cedric McElveen (brother). He graduated from Lamar High School in 1996. He enlisted into the Navy in December 1996 and attended basic training at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill. He attended Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) ‘A’ School in Pensacola, Fla. Upon graduation he acquired his “rating” and then reported for duty at VF-101 “Grim Reapers” flying the F-14 Tomcat onboard Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va. After two years of shore duty and advanced to rank of third-class Petty Officer, he transferred to VF-11 “Red Rippers” completing two six-month deployments onboard the USS Dwight Eisenhower and the USS John Kennedy in the Persian Gulf. During this time, he was advanced to second-class Petty Officer, Aviation Warfare Specialist. After he decommissioned the Fleet replacement squadron VF-101 he was recognized as 2005 Junior Sailor of the Year. He then moved laterally over to VFA-106 “Gladiators” flying the new F/A-18 Super Hornet. There he advanced to the rank of first-class Petty Officer and eagerly went back to sea at VFA-11 to lead his own division during a rigorous seven-month deployment on the USS Harry Truman. During that deployment he was commended for saving the lives of two air crewmen with the work his division completed on the Martin Baker crew ejection seats. He was then recognized as the Aviation Structural Mechanic of the Year for the entire Navy and the Senior Sailor of the Year at VFA-11. Soon after, he earned the title and was initiated a Chief Petty Officer in 2010. His next sea duty would take him to Whidbey Island, Wash., where he served as the Maintenance Control Leading Chief Petty Officer and Line Division Chief at VAQ-139 “Cougars.” There he completed a 10-month Western Pacific deployment earning his Surface Warfare Specialist qualification onboard the USS Carl Vinson. In November 2016, Brown reported to his final tour of duty at Naval Warfare Center Aircraft Division on board Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, Md. There he advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer and worked at the Naval Test Wing Atlantic. Brown retired after 23 years of honorable service on Dec. 31, 2019. He is married to Takia Brown of Philadelphia and they have three children, Kierra, Sanai and Deon.
