OCEAN COUNTY – Petty Officer 1st Class Yisroel Barker, a Lakewood, New Jersey, native, serves as an electronics technician (nuclear power) aboard the USS Virginia, a fast-attack submarine homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London.
Barker, who graduated from Yeshivas Meor Hatalmud and Ocean County College in 2021, is among a small percentage of Navy personnel serving under the sea to help ensure America’s safety.
“The Talmud study process is very useful in general education and learning new skills,” Barker said. “This background and style of learning are useful in physics for the Navy.”
Barker joined the Navy six years ago with a goal of studying nuclear physics and operating nuclear reactors. He said he is always willing to guide others from his hometown who are interested in submarine service.
Known as “Apex Predators,” the Navy’s submarines are among the world’s most advanced vessels, capable of offensive and defensive operations, special missions, and strategic deterrence. The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine is considered the most advanced of its kind, combining stealth and payload capability.
“My proudest accomplishments are qualifying as a supervisor on a nuclear power plant, raising my knowledge of the world, helping others on my ship and getting better at our jobs,” Barker said.
He credits his engineering department master chief, Greg Osborn, for inspiring his Navy career. Looking ahead, Barker hopes to earn advanced degrees in nuclear physics and mechanical engineering and one day join the team designing the next generation of fast-attack submarines.
“Serving in the Navy means a betterment of self, a betterment of others and a constant self-improvement while serving the country in ways only submarines can,” Barker said.
