Featured Firstie: 1/C Dane Campbell

  POSTED ON: Friday, November 4, 2022 12:09 PM by mediarelations@usna.edu

Today’s Firstie Friday is MIDN 1/C Dane Campbell from Viera, Florida, a naval architecture major and a platoon commander in 1st Company.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and we are proud to highlight members of the Brigade with Native American roots. Campbell is part Choctaw and an affiliated member of the Choctaw Nation. This heritage comes from his mother, and his family can trace their lineage back over eight generations of Choctaws. They still live by the core values of the Choctaw nation: faith, family, and culture. 

As a midshipman, Campbell cherishes his heritage, even sleeping under a Choctaw flag that hangs in his Bancroft Hall room. He is reminded to embody the spirit and resilience of his heritage by the Choctaw word for warrior: Tushka. His leadership is also inspired by his father, who demonstrates how to lead by example: “He always reminds me to be a lion, not a sheep.”

Campbell first decided he wanted to attend the Naval Academy during his sophomore year of high school when he saw his first Navy Football game with his family. He was drawn to the opportunities the Academy presents to midshipmen and the exciting career paths of its graduates. Campbell hopes to be selected as a Navy pilot later this month.

Category: General Interest, Midshipman