A Manning, South Carolina, native and Manning High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Trayon Dupree is a culinary specialist aboard the destroyer operating out of the Navy’s largest base. A Navy culinary specialist is responsible for the inventory, storage, and preparation of food on the ship.
“I learned growing up how to mange different situations with all types of people,” Dupree said. “That trait really helps me on the ship.”
More than 300 sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
Navy guided-missile destroyers like USS Mason are multi-mission ships that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. They are equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
Dupree has military ties with family members who have previously served, and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“I have a cousin, two uncles, and an aunt who served in the Army,” Dupree said. “I decided to be a little different and go the Navy route.”
“My work ethic has really developed here on the Mason,” said Dupree. “When things seem like they just can’t be accomplished, there are always ways to get the job done.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Dupree and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“The people I work with in the Navy are really good at what they do,” Dupree said. “They have helped me become better at what I do.”
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tom Gagnier, Navy Office of Community Outreach
