McVeytown native named Surface Navy’s Top Junior Shiphandler
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SAN DIEGO -- Lt. Caleb Smith stood alone while the problems multiplied.
The competition put Smith through San Diego pierwork and a replenishment at sea that brought his ship within 200 feet of another vessel. In a man-overboard scenario, he had seven minutes to recover a shipmate while the ship traveled at full speed.
Under normal conditions, Smith would have a bridge team beside him, monitoring traffic and changing conditions.
In the competition, he had to see the danger himself.
"The toughest part of the competition was balancing multiple problems at once while staying calm," Smith said. "Shiphandling is rarely about solving one issue. You're constantly juggling traffic and the dynamic environmental conditions. Making a change for just seconds can put you in a dangerous spot if it's the wrong decision."
Smith was named the 2026 Junior Officer Shiphandler of the Year by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, after finishing ahead of the Atlantic Surface Force finalist.
Smith is a McVeytown native and a 2015 Mifflin County High School graduate.
He serves as navigator aboard the USS Omaha in San Diego, planning its movements and advising the commanding officer on safe navigation.
Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander of U.S. Naval Surface Forces, presented Smith with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during a July 10 ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island. The Surface Navy Association will recognize him at its national symposium in January 2027.
Smith called his mother and father after learning he had won.
"They were incredibly proud," he said.
The competition tested whether an officer could anticipate trouble before it developed.
"A competent shiphandler can safely move a ship from point A to point B," Smith said. "An excellent shiphandler thinks several steps ahead, anticipating how the situation will change before anyone else has to react."
Ships don't stop or turn quickly. Wind and current keep pushing them, and nearby vessels can change course. An order that works in one moment can create danger seconds later.
A skilled officer must understand how the ship will respond before giving an order.
"They understand shiphandling is really about listening to the ship and thinking, 'If I do this, I can expect XYZ to happen,'" Smith said. "Basically, being pro
active, not reactive, to the surrounding conditions."
Smith never expected to become one of the Navy's best shiphandlers.
"I found that I genuinely enjoyed the challenge and was willing to spend extra time practicing when I was tired or just didn't feel like it," he said. "Over time, that consistent effort started paying off."
The lesson he remembered most came before he reached his first ship.
During an Officer Candidate School inspection, Smith's drill instructor moved his uniforms across the room and delivered a blunt assessment.
Smith recalled the instructor telling him, "Your attention to detail sucks, Smith."
Uniforms had to be folded a specific way. Every surface had to pass a white-glove test. The candidates couldn't finish without helping one another.
The lesson followed him to the bridge.
"Shiphandling is a team effort, and if your bridge team doesn't understand your intent and you aren't very clear on your plan, confusion is a contagious feeling that you can't afford in high-risk scenarios," Smith said.
Smith's ideas about work and leadership began in McVeytown.
He remembers a community where people knew one another and helped when needed. His family, teachers, coaches, and mentors taught him to work hard and treat people with respect.
"Those values carried over into the Navy," Smith said. "I've learned that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about earning trust, taking care of your people, and setting the example every day."
Smith graduated from Lock Haven University in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He planned to become a Pennsylvania State Trooper.
Then Smith learned that his great-grandfather had served in the Navy and was at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
Smith began seeking a Navy commission and worked as a probation officer for nearly two years while completing the process.
The Navy sent him to Hawaii to serve aboard the USS Carl M. Levin before he joined the USS Omaha in San Diego.
The road from McVeytown to the bridge of a Navy ship covered thousands of miles. Smith still thinks about where it began.
He misses the two-lane roads and farm fields around his hometown, features difficult to find in San Diego.
When Smith returns, McVeytown looks much as he remembers it.
"Every time I come home, it reminds me where I started," Smith said. "The town hasn't changed much, but my appreciation for it certainly has. Looking back, I realize how much those early experiences shaped who I became."
Smith also credited his family, crew, and Navy mentors. His name appears on the award, but he said the work that prepared him depended on the people who trained and supported him.
Smith hopes young people in Mifflin County see more possibilities for themselves.
"I hope if anyone can take anything from this, it's that you don't have to come from a big city or have all the answers when you graduate," Smith said. "If you're willing to work hard, stay curious, and learn from the people around you, opportunities will come. Success is usually the result of consistently doing the small things well and never stopping your effort to improve yourself and those around you."