SAN DIEGO – A 1999 Kearny High School graduate and Kearny, New Jersey, native is serving aboard the WWII namesake warship, USS Spruance.
Chief Petty Officer Randall Rufolo is a culinary specialist aboard the San Diego based ship, a guided missile destroyer. As a culinary specialist, Rufolo is responsible for cooking and providing customer service that boosts the moral of the ship.
More than 300 Sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
Rufolo has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“My mom was a real strict parent so she instilled mannerisms and discipline that I felt I was able to take with me to the military to succeed,” he said.
Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. They are about 510 feet long and can be armed with tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, variants of the SM missile family, advanced gun systems and close-in gun systems.
Destroyers are deployed globally and can operate independently, as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, or amphibious readiness groups.
Spruance is armed with long range missiles intended for air defense to counter threats to friendly forces posed by manned aircraft, anti-ship, cruise and ballistic missiles.
It was commissioned in 2011 and named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. He was a key naval commander during WWII, leading U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: Battle of Midway and Battle of the Philippine Sea. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
At Midway, Spruance scored the first major victory for the United States over Japan; generally considered to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
“USS Spruance is responsible for 22 mission areas, with 350 people onboard each Sailor actively supports multiple missions, said Cmdr. Joshua Menzel, commanding officer of Spruance. “As a member of the Pacific Fleet, the crew of USS SPRUANCE patrol the same waters and trains to perform the same missions as the Sailors Admiral Spruance commanded during WWII.”
Rufolo has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My mom's father served in the Navy for four years,” he said. “I feel like I might be starting a family tradition although I have no children. If am able to succeed in the Navy then there is no other reason why someone else wouldn't be able to succeed.”
Rufolo’s proudest accomplishment was making the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
“When I first joined, I enlisted for four years initially for college and at that time, I didn't feel like I was smart or good enough to make Chief. Once I made second class, I felt like that was a goal to obtain and I pushed myself to do the best I can and I was able to achieve this goal of making Chief Petty Officer," he added.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Rufolo and other Spruance sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“A lot of people feel like this is just a job and sometimes it does feel like that but there is another aspect while serving," said Rufolo. "I have to protect our ships, shipmates and country so everyone serving can go home to see their loved ones, family and friends."