KINGSVILLE, Texas - A 2009 Ashville Christian Academy graduate and Black Mountain, North Carolina, native is participating in a rigorous training process that transforms officers into U.S. naval aviators.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Finley |
Ensign Charles White is a student pilot with the “Redhawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 21, based in Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. The squadron flies T-45C Goshawk aircraft.
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning to maneuver a trainer jet as they are introduced to the building blocks of what fighter pilots do in the fleet.
“I'm a happier person when learning, and you cannot get this training anywhere else in the world,” White said.
White credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Black Mountain.
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning to maneuver a trainer jet as they are introduced to the building blocks of what fighter pilots do in the fleet.
“I'm a happier person when learning, and you cannot get this training anywhere else in the world,” White said.
White credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Black Mountain.
“Growing up, I learned that hard work and time management are my friends,” White said. “You have to make every minute count to be successful"
The T-45C Goshawk is a tandem-seat, jet trainer aircraft powered by a twin-spool non-afterburn turbofan engine with 5,527 pounds of thrust and airspeed of 645 mph.
VT-21’s primary mission is to train future naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values, Navy officials explained. Students must complete many phases of flight training in order to graduate, including aviation pre-flight indoctrination, primary flight training, and advanced flight training. After successfully completing the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”
After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how to fly a specific aircraft, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter attack jet aircraft or the F-35 Lightning joint strike fighter jet. They are later assigned to a ship or land-based squadron.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, 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.
White plays an important role in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of 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.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, White is most proud of making the commodore’s list with distinction at primary flight training located in Milton, Florida.
“This accomplishment is special to me because it reflects the effort I put into the first steps of my flight training,” White said.
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for White, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Smith is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“Both of my grandfathers served in the military,” White said. “It's a blessing to know they are proud of me.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, White and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“It's a privilege to be part of a program with such a meaningful existence,” White said.