Tucker, GA — A Tucker resident recently completed his first circumnavigation of the globe, according to his family.

William Roberts completed his trip on Feb. 23 after 95 days at sea.

“He is a Midshipman at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and a Strategic Sealift Officer for the U.S. Naval Reserve,” his family says. “MDN Roberts is pursuing a career goal which has taken him on adventures thousands of miles from home in service to our country.  The 2014 graduate of St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta and 2018 alumnus of Baylor School in Chattanooga completed his journey at sea on the M/V Liberty Pride, a roll on / roll off vehicle carrier.  After boarding the ship on 21 November 2020, he visited more than twenty ports of call and points of interest including Freeport and Beaumont, Texas; Wilmington, Delaware; Gibraltar; Livorno, Italy; Port Said, Egypt; Suez Canal; Aqaba, Jordan; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Sohar, Oman; Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Hamad, Qatar; Shuaiba and Shuwaikh, Kuwait; Indian Ocean; Strait of Malacca; Pyeongtaek, Kwon Yang-sook, and Busan, South Korea; Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico; Balboa, Panama; Panama Canal; Jacksonville, Florida; and Brunswick Georgia.  William served his time as a Bridge Cadet carrying out duties including standing watch, overseeing cargo operations, and steering the ship.”

The USMMA is a federal service academy producing leaders who :serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces.”

“With 95 percent of the world’s products transported over water, these leaders are vital to the effective operation of our merchant fleet for both commercial and military transport in peace and war,” his family says. “Academy graduates abide by the motto: ‘Acta Non Verba,’ or ‘Deeds Not Words,’ and are leaders who embody the concept of service-above-self.”

Last year, Roberts sailed for three months as a cadet on a bulk carrier to Djibouti as part of a humanitarian mission to deliver grain, his family said.

He’s the son of Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Roberts of Tucker and grandson of Mrs. Arthur A. Andersen of Decatur. He rows on the Academy’s crew team and has competed at the Head of the Charles as well as many other regattas, his family said.

He’s expected to graduate from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in June 2022 with a B.S. in Maritime Logistics and Security.

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