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 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.
Cmdr. Robin Corey Cherrett, a 1991 West Linn graduate and native of West Linn, Oregon, has served in the Navy for 18 years and is the commanding officer of these sailors serving at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor.
Cherrett credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in West Linn.
“The lessons I gained most knowledge from growing up in West Linn were in the science and math curriculums and the opportunities which enabled accelaration in those subjects and instilled a deep thirst for knowledge,” said Cherrett. “The thunderstorms I witnessed on summer trips to Wisconsin really intrgued me and really sparked that interest and got me into this really cool science field.”
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 the commanding officer, Cherrett is responsible for overseeing all adminstrative and operational aspects related to mission execution.
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, Cherrett is most proud of earning a bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD in meteorology and oceanography.
“There were a lot of small building blocks of achievements in this field and I wish I could have done more,” said Cherrett. “I was always attracted to this field because it offered the STEM aspect and I thought it was cool at the time, in 1988, as an eighth grader to fly to D.C. and compete in the national math test. I was always interested in math and physics and what they could offer in their respected career, which has helped me succeed in my current career."
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Cherrett 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.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Cherrett 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 was an evolution in meaning,” added Cherrett. “At first, it was about opportunity and growth to include responsibilities and travel. Now, it's about team, family and mission. It's about knowing your'e a part of an institution that integrates tremendous diversity of backgrounds into a unity of effort. I'm very proud of our armed forces leading America.”
“The lessons I gained most knowledge from growing up in West Linn were in the science and math curriculums and the opportunities which enabled accelaration in those subjects and instilled a deep thirst for knowledge,” said Cherrett. “The thunderstorms I witnessed on summer trips to Wisconsin really intrgued me and really sparked that interest and got me into this really cool science field.”
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 the commanding officer, Cherrett is responsible for overseeing all adminstrative and operational aspects related to mission execution.
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, Cherrett is most proud of earning a bachelor's degree, master's degree and PhD in meteorology and oceanography.
“There were a lot of small building blocks of achievements in this field and I wish I could have done more,” said Cherrett. “I was always attracted to this field because it offered the STEM aspect and I thought it was cool at the time, in 1988, as an eighth grader to fly to D.C. and compete in the national math test. I was always interested in math and physics and what they could offer in their respected career, which has helped me succeed in my current career."
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Cherrett 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.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Cherrett 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 was an evolution in meaning,” added Cherrett. “At first, it was about opportunity and growth to include responsibilities and travel. Now, it's about team, family and mission. It's about knowing your'e a part of an institution that integrates tremendous diversity of backgrounds into a unity of effort. I'm very proud of our armed forces leading America.”