Lieutenant Daniel Barotti, U.S. Navy
Daniel joined the Navy in December 2014 during his final year studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was commissioned as a Naval Officer through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island in September 2015 as part of 17-15 G Company. His first tour was aboard USS McCampbell (DDG-85), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer based out of Yokosuka, Japan, where he served as First Lieutenant and patrolled the geopolitically contested waters of the South China Sea as he served. There he would work with the Japanese, South Korean, Philippine, Brunei, and Australian Navies to forge stronger ties with the U.S. Allies in the region. He would return to Japan for a second tour, this time aboard USS Patriot (MCM-7), an Avenger-class minesweeper based out of Sasebo. On one of the last commissioned wooden warships of the Navy, he would once more patrol the South China Sea, to project U.S. naval power and protect international waters from regional claims. During this tour, while serving as the Assistant Chief Engineer, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (O-3). He would once again work with regional allies, including those from his previous tour, as well as the Thai, Italian, and French navies to promote international cooperation and stability in the South China Sea. Following his second tour, he separated from active duty in May 2021 to start a new chapter of life with his wife, Dr. Catherine Dong, in Richmond, Virginia.
