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 Detachment, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen De Los Santos, a 2009 Kline Oak High School graduate and native of Tomball, Texas, has served in the Navy for three years and is one of these sailors serving at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Aviation Detachment.De Los Santos credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Tomball.
“In my college years, I learned about myself and the importance of time management,” said De Los Santos. “I have taken what I did not do right before and made it better for the future tasks.”
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 aerographers mate, De Los Santos is responsible for providing weather support for pilots. This could be what weather to expect before, during and after a flight. They also provide weather warnings to surrounding bases about thunderstorms, winds and hurricanes.
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, De Los Santos is most proud of earning The Junior Sailor of the Quarter 2018, 4th Quarter.
“I was not expecting this award and I felt like I did not deserve it because I was only doing my job,” said De Los Santos. “I have not really received awards for doing what you are supposed to. I am very passionate about my work and it shows.”
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means De Los Santos 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 De Los Santos, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. De Los Santos is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“My grandpa was in the Army and is one of the reasons why I joined. He was in Vietnam and had all kinds of stories. He met my grandma in Vietnam,” said De Los Santos. “My dad was in the Navy and he was also a great influence.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, De Los Santos 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 is important, especially because of the freedoms we have in this country as it allows me to give back and my service supports that,” added De Los Santos. “Serving makes me aware of what we have and this is why I carry on the tradition.”