Roanoke native Janet Cambre, a Damage Controlman 1st Class on the USS Constitution bid farewell to the ship’s officers and crew on March 12, 2020 after completing a successful 3-year tour aboard the historic vessel.
Duty aboard USS Constitution is one of the Navy’s special programs, and all prospective crew members must meet a high standard of sustained excellence and interview to be selected for the assignment.
“This was such an empowering experience to learn how to work with different sailors from different [parts of the service] that I normally would not work with,” said Cambre.
Cambre is a 2011 graduate of Glenvar High School in Salem. She has served in the Navy for eight years, and her previous command was the USS Essex (LHD 2).
USS Constitution, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.
USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and captured 33 opponents.
Today, the Sailors stationed aboard provide free tours and visitation as the ship serves to promote the Navy’s history, maritime heritage, and supports educational outreach focused on raising awareness on the importance of a sustained naval presence to more than 600,000 visitors each year.
