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SOUTH CHINA SEA (Sept. 2, 2021) Sonar Technician (Surface) Seaman Alexis Ennis, from Ada, Ohio, participates in color guard practice aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65). Benfold is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Deanna Gonzales)

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By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jennifer Gold, Navy Office of Community Outreach

SAN DIEGO – Ensign Eva Pahl, a native of Sycamore, Ohio, joined the Navy one years ago. Today, Pahl serves aboard USS Tripoli.

“I’ve always loved leadership opportunities,” said Pahl. “Growing up I was an officer in 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands and Health) and the Future Farmers of America, so I knew I wanted to find similar roles for my career. My dad suggested ROTC and I fell in love with being part of something that was important and gave me the opportunity to lead people in a real-world environment.”

Growing up in Sycamore, Pahl attended Bridges Preparatory Academy and graduated in 2015. Today, Pahl uses the same skills and values learned in Sycamore to succeed in the military.

“My parents taught me that everyone has their own story and it’s important to recognize them,” said Pahl. “That has helped me lead my sailors and teach them that they have a voice and to stand up for the things that they believe in.”

These lessons continue to help Pahl while serving in the Navy.

USS Tripoli incorporates key components to provide the fleet with a more aviation-centric platform. The design features an enlarged hangar deck, aviation maintenance facilities realignment and expansion, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity.

“The Sailors aboard this ship have been given an enormous task–get this ship ready,” said Capt. John Kiefaber, Tripoli’s executive officer. “They brought this ship to life in the midst of a pandemic and continued to operate it safely and effectively, rising to every occasion. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Serving in the Navy means Pahl is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy provides a forward presence of a mission ready organization,” said Pahl. “We are constantly improving and expanding our capabilities to respond to threats to our country.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”

Pahl and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.

“For me, the Navy has helped me grow personally and professionally,” said Pahl. “I’ve had to learn to accept that I’m not perfect and grow from my mistakes as a leader. I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”

As Pahl and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving in the Navy means to break free from the ‘this is how it’s always been mindset’ and cultivate an environment that encourages sailors to utilize their strengths and recognize their shortcomings,” added Pahl. “I hope to empower everyone that I meet with a sense of pride for our Navy and the accomplishments that we achieve.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class Tim Meyer, a native of Ottawa, Ohio, retired from the Army in September after serving honorably for 25 years. He served as an administrative specialist and patient administrative specialist, but spent most of his career in various public affairs roles during his 20 years in the Army and five years in the Army Reserve.

During his first enlistment in the 1980’s, Meyer visited West and East Berlin, Germany, when the city and country were still divided.
In addition to assignments in Germany, Hawaii, and several continental U.S. states, Meyer deployed to Iraq, the Philippines and Kuwait, and visited Alaska, Iwo Jima, Guam and Japan.

His last assignment was at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service headquarters in Dallas, where he accepted a position in corporate communications upon retiring.

Meyer is the son of Charles and Jeanette Meyer of Ottawa, Ohio.
He is a 1984 graduate of Ottawa-Glandorf High School, Ottawa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1992 from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 25, 2020) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Dylon Lamalie, from Fostoria, Ohio, practices piping aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Atlantic Ocean April 25, 2020.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) remains at sea in the Atlantic as a certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking in order to protect the crew from the risks posed by COVID-19, following their successful deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. Keeping HSTCSG at sea in U.S. 2nd Fleet, in the sustainment phase of OFRP, allows the ship to maintain a high level of readiness during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Samuel Gruss)

CHINA LAKE, Calif. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Isaiah Foster, a native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, plays a key role in supporting the Navy’s research, testing and evaluation of cutting-edge weapons systems for today’s sailors.

Foster is a yeoman serving at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, known as “Secret City.”

“A vast weapons testing and training range operated by the U.S. Navy in California’s Mojave Desert, this location is where military and civilian personnel developed or tested nearly every significant airborne weapon system since 1943,” said NAWS China Lake public affairs officer, Margo Allen.

As a Navy yeoman, Foster is responsible for all administrative duties for the command.

“I enjoy the peace and quiet of serving in China Lake,” Foster said.

Foster is a 2014 Kentridge High School graduate. According to Foster, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Upper Sandusky.

“I learned communication skills necessary to serve in the Navy,” Foster said. “Without these skills the job would be a lot more difficult.”

NAWS China Lake is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. The installation is the Navy’s largest single piece of real estate, representing 85 percent of the Navy’s land for Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation (RDAT&E) use and 38 percent of the Navy’s land holdings worldwide. In total, its two ranges and main site cover more than 1.1 million acres, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Operating a facility as large as China Lake is a monumental task, considering 19,600 square miles of restricted and controlled airspace makes up 12 percent of California’s total airspace. Compounding the challenge is the diverse nature of the operations that includes weapons testing and evaluation in air and ground ranges, research and development in highly sophisticated laboratories, and numerous science and technology projects ranging from sensors to chemical and material systems.

The workforce at China Lake is a combination of military, civilians and contractors employed across many different commands focused on researching and evaluating cutting edge technological systems, and training of Navy personnel preparing for combat in areas around the world.

China Lake and the men and women who serve there play a key role in the Navy’s broader mission of protecting American interests on the world’s oceans.

According to Navy officials, maintaining maritime superiority is a vital part of a Navy that is present today and prepared for tomorrow. The impact affects Americans and their interests around the world, as more than 70 percent of the Earth is covered by water and 90 percent of all trade travels by sea.

The foundation of the Navy the nation needs includes a focus on warfighting, warfighters and the future of the fighting force.

“I am confident that we will maximize the Navy we have today while delivering the Navy that our nation will rely upon tomorrow,” said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “We will do so with urgency. Our fleet will be a potent, formidable force that competes around the world every day, deterring those who would challenge us while reassuring our allies and partners.”

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in a command, community and career, Foster is most proud of being promoted to third class petty officer.

“It shows my growth and that I am working hard in my career,” Foster said.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Foster, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“Serving in the Navy means I am doing something with my life and allows me to give back my country,” Foster said.

Story courtesy of Navy Office Of Community Outreach.

(Dec. 27, 2019) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Dylon Lamalie, from Fostoria, Ohio, stands the signalman watch in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during a replenishment-at-sea in the Arabian Sea Dec. 27, 2019.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

Photo and information courtesy of Navy Office of Community Outreach.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication 3rd Class Kaysee Lohmann

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – As Americans reflect on the service of military men and women this Veterans Day, some may not realize that they are fellow residents with those who serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Leaks, a resident of Findlay, Ohio, supports and defends freedom around the world, as a Navy operations specialist, who is responsible for plotting ship’s position, heading, and speed.

Leaks is a 2002 Mackenzie High School graduate and native of Detroit. Leaks also earned a degree from University of Findlay in 2014 majoring in graphic design.

Reservists seamlessly support and actively aid military missions while continuing to lead their own independent lives in the civilian world, according to Navy officials.

“The Navy Reserve is a 100K strong team of sailors embedded across the fabric of society, loyal and dedicated patriots, serving both in uniform and civilian jobs, ready to defend the homeland and deploy across the world in a moment’s notice,” said Vice Adm. Luke McCollum, Chief of Navy Reserve.

The Navy Reserve provides strategic depth to America’s Navy as it protects the American homeland and advances economic prosperity by preserving freedom of the seas.

“Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s outstanding culture has allowed me to serve my country worry-free from an employment standpoint,” said Leaks. “I also contribute being able to balance civilian and Navy to my wife, whom is a prior service member.”

As a Navy reservist, Leaks serves with Navy Operational Support Center Toledo responsible for serving as the operational support unit’s career counselor. The command’s mission is to support the Navy and Marine Corps team in the training and administration of the Navy Reserves with mission ready units, equipment, and individuals throughout the full range of operations from peace to war.

Leaks is playing an important part in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

A key element of the Navy the Nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.

“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Leaks is most proud of being certified as a Plane Captain for F/A 18 Super Hornet Jets, qualified career counselor and earning three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

“I am very proud to achieve becoming a certified Plane Captain,” said Leaks. “Obtaining this certification required a full year of studying, patience and learning.”

Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Leaks, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Leaks is honored to carry on that family tradition.

“My big brother served in the United States Marines prior to me serving and is currently serving in the United States Army,” said Leaks. “My brother created a culture of professionalism while he served in the military and I wanted to follow his example.”

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Leaks and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy allows me to defend my country and there is no greater feeling,” added Leaks. “The military has also allowed me to travel the world, become a professional and become a better role model for my community and my family.”