AE2(AW) LaTonya N. Davison, U.S. Navy (1996-2010)

Picture it. Great Lakes, IL, 1996. This towering 6-foot-something man walks into the barracks bay, informing us he’ll be our division commander for the next 8 weeks. Intimidating from the jump, it took only a few days to realize he had a perfectly crafted persona to make sure we quickly established discipline and respect. Fred Pharr from North Carolina, who would later become the Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Force Master Chief, would be whipping 83 women into shape and making them into sailors.

Master Chief Pharr guided with Stoic and firm leadership. His voice naturally booming, I only recall him raising it a few times. His presence and stature were intimidating, but you could feel his care. He was quick to give us consequences. When we failed to hit our PT standards, he banned us from all desserts at chow time for several weeks. A master joke teller, he was deliberately or inadvertently hilarious. It took everything not to laugh in formation from his quips. One night, a group of us were in the RDC office doing administrative work. He would allow us to listen to music, usually his CDs that he brought in. The Fleetwood Mac song “Little Lies” came on, and we were merrily singing it. With impeccable timing, he said, “I’ll tell you a sweet little lie, you can have cake.”

He gave me the position of “Starboard Watch”, which is a position in formation that calls out commands to the right side of the column. I was also in charge of scheduling the watch list for the division. He would later fire me from the position for a mistake I made during drill practice, and rightfully so. It felt like I had disappointed my father, but I knew it was a lesson in humility and paying attention to detail. I redeemed myself in the final week by taking 1st position in education points. I looked over at him and caught him exclaiming, “YESS” with a fist of pride when the numbers were called out, which earned me an increase in rank to E-2. He was a literal father-figure whom we wanted to please, as much as a model for how to carry ourselves within our new Navy career.

I’ve never forgotten this man, and many of his statements still ring in my mind. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, RECRUIT?”
I was able to find him here on TWS, and he remembered me. His dedication to the Navy was clearly evident in that he became a Force Master Chief. I believe that his training was very much integrated into my 14-year career, and I made sure to represent him as an example of his excellent leadership.

Read the Military Memories of our Runner-Ups.