U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rusty Pang
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Most Americans rely on weather forecasts to plan their daily routine. The U.S. Navy is no different. With numerous ships, submarines and airplanes deployed in the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s area of operations, sailors stationed at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Aviation, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.
Petty Officer 1st Class Kristoffer Gaffud, a 2002 Lancaster Baptist School graduate and native of Palmdale, California, has served in the Navy for 15 years and is one of these sailors serving at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.Gaffud credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Palmdale.
“I remember hearing my pastor say, 'if you aim at nothing, you hit it every time,'" said Gaffud. "I joined the military simply because I wasn’t motivated to do anything else. Fifteen years later, I am happily married with four kids and another one on the way. Now they are my motivation.”
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center Detachment provides aviation weather support for the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and resource protection to ensure safety of flight and operations for Atsugi, Japan; Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa; Commander Fleet
As a Navy logistics specialist, Gaffud is responsible for supplying logistic support and supplies for the command to include equipment, supplies, parts and anything needed to keep the command moving forward.
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.
“Naval Oceanography defines and applies the physical environment for the entire Navy fleet from the bottom of the ocean to the stars,” said Rear Adm. John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “There isn't a plane that flies, a ship or a submarine that gets underway without the sailors and civilians of Naval Oceanography.”
The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Gaffud is most proud of earning being sent on an individual augmentee tour to Afghanistan. He went there anticipating an experience depticted in the news and media, but it was not as bad as he thought it would be. While he was “boots on ground,” he decided to make a career of the military and he has maintained a connection with others who have also been deployed to the region.
“Not many people can say they have been to Afghanistan and it solidified my decision to remain in the Navy,” said Gaffud. “I look back at the experience and I saw that I could take my career to the next level. It was my fork in the road.”
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Gaffud is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“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.”
The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies. The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades.
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Gaffud, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Gaffud is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“I had two uncles that served as mess specialists when I was born. I do not think they had a direct influence on me joining the military but I do have a baby picture of me in the Navy Dress Blue uniform,” said Gaffud. “It makes me think I was destined to be in the Navy.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Gaffud 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 military makes me think it is important to know what you want to do in the military and for your career and your family,” added Gaffud. “I would hope my children would want to continue the tradition.”