BALTIMORE — Commander Vance Scott has traveled the world in service to his country—but no matter how far the Navy has taken him, his roots remain firmly planted in Baltimore.
WATCH: Navy Commander inspires hometown youth
Commander Scott visited the city as part of the U.S. Navy’s Executive Engagement Visit (EEV)—a national outreach initiative to connect military leadership with local communities. For Scott, a proud Baltimore Polytechnic graduate, the stop wasn’t just professional—it was deeply personal.
“It feels really good. I call myself Baltimore built, Navy refined,” he told WMAR-2 News. “This state laid the foundation of where I am today.”
Born and raised in northwest Baltimore, Commander Scott graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2004 with a degree in electrical engineering.
Since then, he’s completed multiple deployments, held strategic roles in Washington, D.C., and earned three master’s degrees—including one from the University of Maryland in Leadership. Today, he serves as Commanding Officer of the USS Nebraska (Blue Crew), based in Washington State.
Still, standing in front of students, veterans, and city leaders this week, Scott said it was this city that taught him how to lead.
“I was raised by my grandparents, and I’m a proud product of my grandparents’ upbringing,” he said.
At a gathering of the Rotary Club of Baltimore, he shared how critical that early support was—and why he wants local youth to see the Navy not just as a career, but as a calling.
“If you’re mechanically inclined, mathematically inclined—even if you’re a video gamer—the Navy needs that talent,” he said. “The opportunities are endless.”
Scott is one of just three African American active-duty commanding officers currently in the Navy’s submarine force, making his visibility and outreach all the more meaningful.
The Executive Engagement Visit program is coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO), which helps arrange leadership visits across the country.
These visits include conversations with civic groups, educators, veterans’ organizations, and local media to foster trust, highlight service, and connect national defense to everyday communities.
For Scott, the visit offered a chance to give back to the city that raised him—and to show the next generation what’s possible.
“Stay true to yourself,” he advised. “Resist the temptations out there and keep your eye on the ball" The prize is out there if you’re willing to take it.”
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