Last modified Wed., June 06, 2007 - 05:52 PM
Originally created Thursday, June 7, 2007

A day in the life of a yeoman

By MC1(AW) Melissa Robertson-Leake, Staff Writer

YN1(SW/AW) Jaquilla Barfield prepares paperwork for N1 department as part of her daily routine. Photos by MC1(AW) Melissa Robertson-Leake

What may be one of the oldest, most diverse, complex jobs in the Navy is the yeoman (YN) rating. YN's perform administrative and clerical work. They provide customer service, maintain records and official publications, answer telephone calls and sort through incoming mail.

YN1(SW/AW) Jaquilla Barfield is the only YN in N1 Department at Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) and administratively handles approximately seven divisions. As the departmental YN, she also handles command security and is the procurer of supplies for the department.

"Personally I think the YN rate is a large backbone of the naval service. I would compare the YN rate to be the equivalent of an administrative secretary in the civilian sector. The experience I've received in the Navy will prepare me for life after the military but most importantly, helping out and knowing I've made a difference is what really matters to me," said Barfield.

Without YNs, the everyday requirements such as typing correspondence and organizing files would not be complete. YNs are assignable to fleet units and shore stations throughout the world.

Other YNs working at CNRSE not only handle the needs of their command but also the high volume of administrative work for the 22 regions that fall under CNRSE. Ensuring that a large workload is taken care of in an expeditious manner requires the YNs to be versatile and share responsibilities.

YN2 Anthony Dyson along with YN3 (SW/AW) Aliscia Crocker are kept busy. Dyson tracks the high influx of leave papers, correspondence and strives to make sure that Sailor's receive their awards on time.

Leading Petty Officer YN1(SW/AW) Syretta Revels assists YN2 Anthony Dyson and YN3(SW/AW) Aliscia Crocker with an award document.

"I enjoy what I do and the camaraderie we share in this office is what pulls us through on hectic days," said Dyson.

YNs work closely with base Personnel Support Departments (PSD) providing PSD personnel with the documents that need to be processed for entry into service records.

In an office environment there is constantly paperwork to be done and deadlines to meet. Leading Petty Officer YN1(SW/AW) Syretta Revels does just that. Revels prepares fit reps, evaluations, instructions, notices and makes sure 'flag admin' runs smoothly. "I enjoy working here and my job is made easier because everyone on the YN team is a hard worker," said Revels.

The hard work in this office is evident and shows through this office's history of advancement. With a 100 percent advancement rate, all the YNs in this office have advanced up at least one paygrade.

As the Navy moves forward with rate downsizing, the yeoman and cryptological technician-administration (CTA) rate are also scheduled to merge in the near future.

What the rate will be called and how the merger will effect advancement is not yet known. One thing for sure is, the YNs at CNRSE are hoping they will always be identified as yeoman!