PR1 Hutchens was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from Starmount High School, Boonville North Carolina in 1996. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1996 and received recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois, and Aircrew Survival Equipmentman training in Millington, Tennessee. During his 20 years on active duty, he served on the USS George Washington (CVN-73), USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), Fleet Composite Squadron Six (VC-6) Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, VA, Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 28 (HSC-28) Norfolk, VA, Fleet Readiness Center Mid Atlantic, Norfolk VA, Helicopter Anti
Submarine Squadron Five (HS-5) Norfolk VA, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) Eglin AFB FL. Among his decorations are the Navy Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. While on Active Duty, PR1 Hutchens earned his Bachelor of Arts from St. Leo University, St. Leo Florida in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security Specialist 2009.
PR1 Hutchens retired from the U.S. Navy on August 1, 2016, and began his duties as a Naval Science Instructor at Colleton County High School in August of 2016.
Hutchens’ knew he wanted to join the Navy early. When he was younger, he would vacation at the Isle of Palms and would also visit the Yorktown and the Laffey at Patriots Point. He truly enjoyed visiting these pieces of naval history while on the coast. Not quite being ready for college after graduation, he joined the Navy and went to boot camp at the Great Lakes. A year before Hutchens retired from the Navy while traveling to Carolina Beach he and his wife planned to stop in Savannah for the night. They ended up in Beaufort. Deciding to take the scenic route up Highway 17, he stopped at the gas in Jacksonboro for a drink. Hutchens said it felt like home. The place just had that kind of atmosphere. After his vacation was over, Hutchens took the same route back home and the feeling followed him. When his time at Eglin Air Force Base ended, Hutchens applied for jobs that he did not get. He eventually gained employment as a defense contractor, but he hated it. A year later while on vacation he received a call from Colleton County School District about the NJROTC program and he got the job. Hutchens was detachment in Maryland when received the official word and he came to Colleton County immediately Friday before school started that Monday in 2016; almost a year to the day when he first came through Jacksonboro.
PR1 Christopher Hutchens’ service was during the Global War on Terrorism, and we thank him for his service to our country and now we thank him for his service to the children of Colleton County.
