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On Saturday, May 13, the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Stars and Stripes community held its monthly Career Day on the STEM City Metaverse platform, featuring U.S. Navy Commander Desmond Walker as the keynote speaker. Walker received the Career Achievement in Government Award at the BEYA STEM Conference in February 2022. Click here to learn more about career day on STEM City USA.
Career Day is a monthly event and is organized by retired Black military and government officers and middle and high school students. The event is an opportunity for students, educators, and parents to connect with professionals and business leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, who share their secrets to success.
The BEYA Stars and Stripes Career Day on STEM City USA offers an interactive experience, providing students with valuable skills to help them succeed in their careers. Additionally, attendees can win prizes, scholarships, and college prep tips.
After completing the requirements for the Navy's Seaman to Admiral-21 program, Walker served as deck and small boat division officer and assistant training officer. Additionally, he executed operations in support of Hurricane Katrina humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, earning the Humanitarian Service Medal.
He also served in the reactor department of USS Harry S. Truman, managing Sailors in maintaining chemistry controls for the reactor plant and propulsion plant water and monitoring and reinforcing radiological controls. He was also an operations officer in USS Carney, and an executive leader of Sailors while maintaining unit operational readiness in support of battle plans and coordinating day-to-day requirements for managing the command.
Walker deployed to Fifth/Sixth Fleets, where he synchronized the first-ever Griffin Missile test launch for Commander Task Force 55 in the Arabian Gulf. He served as a chemistry/radiological controls assistant on USS Carl Vinson and excelled at anticipating problems in managing 26 assessable chemical and radiological programs. He achieved a 25% improvement in shipboard radiological work practices and kept chemical parameters within specification for 100% of plant operations during maintenance availabilities, training cycles, and deployments.
Ashore, Walker served on the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command staff as a nuclear programs manager in support of nuclear officer accessions. He also served on the CNO's staff as the section head for Amphibious Warfare In-Service Readiness. His tour culminated on the personal staff of the CNO as a special assistant. Additionally, the Navy liaison officer to the Marine Corps Strategic Initiatives Group Commandant focused on improving increased integration, interoperability, and interdependence.
Walker is also a national liaison between the Navy and the National Naval Officers Association. Both organizations have a mutual goal of achieving and managing an inclusive and diverse workforce of military officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian employees. Since 2019, Walker has been a senior advisory board member of the Naval Junior Officer Counsel (NJOC). The board assists the executive liaison in providing counsel to expand NJOC's management.
In addition, Walker is an active mentor of midshipmen attending and commissioned officers who graduated from Norfolk State University's Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) unit. Walker has been a designated Naval Officer and Midshipmen Mentor at Norfolk State since 2017.
Walker graduated from Norfolk State in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in electronics technology. He earned a master's degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University in 2012, a Joint Professional Military Education Phase I from Naval War College in 2015, and an M.B.A. from Central Michigan University in 2020 through various off-duty educational opportunities.