Lewiston native has flag flown over City Hall in advance of Navy retirement ceremony
“I could have flown this flag anywhere in the world, but nothing is more important to me than my family in my beautiful State of Maine and Lewiston,where it all began,” saidU.S.Navy Logistics Chief Petty Officer Jessica Doucette. A native of Lewiston, Doucette will retire on August 31 after 24 yearsof distinguished service with the United States Navy. In preparation for her retirement ceremony, sherequested that a United States flag be flown over Lewiston City Hall.
As a result, the flagshe provided wasraised in her honor by Lewiston Mayor Shane Bouchard on Thursday, July 26 at 8:30 a.m. Family members and friends in attendanceincluded her parents, Michael andConstance Doucette; her brother, Randall;her grandmother, Lily Gagnon; and several aunts and uncles.
Representatives from the offices of U.S.Congressman Bruce Poliquin and U.S.Senator Susan Collins’were on hand and area veterans werealso invited to attend.
The flag flown at the event will be honored during theflag passing portionofher official retirement ceremony in Mayport, Florida, whereDoucette is currently serving as the Senior Enlisted Leader at the Aviation Support Detachment at Mayport Naval Station.
Doucette enlisted in the Navy as an undesignated AIRMANunder the delayed entry program in 1994. She completed Recruit Training and Airman Apprentice Training Program in Great Lakes, Illinois. She then reported to her first duty station at VFA-106 in Cecil Field, Florida,where she earned her Plane Captain qualifications, becoming one of the first womenin the Navy to serve as aPlane Captain on board an aircraft carrier. Shealso became a designated Aviation Storekeeper beforereported to her next post, VP-26 in Brunswick, Maine.
She wasthen stationed in Milton, Florida to supportUnmanned Aviation with NAMTRAGRUDET,a system that pavedthe way for future unmanned aviation logistics. While in Milton,she celebrated the most important event of her life, the birth of her son, Cody Paul Isaacs, on May 1, 2002.
Now as a single parent,Doucette had to take on a challenging tour to furtherher career advancement opportunities with the Navy, leading her to checkonboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN -70) in March of 2005. She was on board forthe ship’s final world cruise and saw it through its yard period during a refuel and overhaul complex. She was thencapped to First Class Petty Officer.
Doucette thenwanted to take on a special duty assignment,which led her to submita package to the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. After a rigorous process, she wasselected to represent the team through one of the Navy’s TOP recruitment tools. After only a year on the team, she was promotedto Chief Petty Officer and finished her rewarding tour with the Blue Angelsas a CHIEF and Blue Angel Alumni.
Doucette thentook on a recruiting tour in October of 2011 in Nashville, TN. Hereshe earned her Navy recruiting badge and represented the district as a qualified Logistics Supply Officer. After reaching her 20-year mark, she and her son Cody then embarked onan overseas tour to Manama, Bahrain, where she represented the command as the Assistant Business Officer supporting overseas logistics operations and surface Navy. Sheand her son werethenstationed at theAviation Support Divisionin Mayport, Florida,where she will finish her career.
LSC Doucette wants to thank her family and friends for theirconstant love and support throughout her career.