Ensign Daniel Sparks applied the lessons learned from Middletown, Illinois, to help in developing the skills to become a naval supply officer. 

Those lessons learned during Sparks’s time in his hometown, turned into an opportunity to learn leadership and the most innovative tactics of naval supply in the world at Navy Supply Corps School (NSCS), located in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Sparks is a 2007 University of Illinois Springfield graduate. 

Considered to be one of the Navy’s greatest assets, the supply officers must first train and be mentored at supply school. 

Prior to any type of extraordinary achievement, the students must first pass a rigorous course structure in order to become a Navy supply officer. 

The mission of supply school is to provide students with the personal and professional foundations for success. This mission lends itself to the vision of the school which is to ensure all supply corps officer graduates are prepared to provide global logistics support to Navy and joint warfare. 

Once these service members finish training, they are deployed around the world putting their skill set to work. 

There are many sacrifices and goals one must achieve to be selected as a supply officer and Sparks is most proud of Earning Blue Jacket of the Year in 2017 while he was an enlisted sailor during his tour in Diego Garcia. 

The future of naval warfare is rapidly changing, so the course and materials at supply school are constantly evolving to create the most dynamic, lethal, safe and professional warfighting team for the Navy our nation needs. 

Just as Americans go grocery shopping and conduct car and home repairs, supply officers in the Navy ensure sailors have the tools and equipment they need to deter any threat and maintain warfighting readiness and threat deterrence in an era of great power competition. 

As Sparks and other officers continue to train, they take pride in what it means to serve their country in the United States Navy.