[NAVYTIMES] Years before he became a yeoman 3rd class in the United States Navy, Joshua Kelley was entertaining exuberant crowds under his drag name, "Harpy Daniels."The 24-year-old Berwick, Pennsylvania native, who currently serves as an administrative supervisor aboard the forward-deployed aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, brought Harpy along for the ride when he decided to join the Navy in February 2016, a choice he said was heavily inspired by his father.
"I’ve heard many stories of the Navy from my father," Kelley told Navy Times. "He’s a 24-year senior chief Navy counselor, so it was something I always had insight on. I grew up with the service, so knowing the benefits of it made it an easy path to take."
One of those benefits was financial stability, something Kelley was struggling to maintain while pursuing drag.
"With drag being my number one passion, it quickly became costly," he said. "On top of just struggling to make ends meet and then pay college loans, the Navy became a great option to get myself situated in life."
Now, despite the furious operational tempo the Navy demands of its personnel, Kelley manages to find time to perform as Harpy Daniels on ship during MWR-sanctioned events designed to give sailors a much-needed break from daily burdens. He even took home a $1,000 Navy Exchange card for a second place finish in a recent lip sync competition.