KINGSVILLE, Texas - A 2008 Madison Central High School in Richmond, Kentucky, graduate and Versailles, Kentucky, native is participating in a rigorous training process that transforms officers into U.S. naval aviators.
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| Photo by Mass Communication 2nd Class David Finley |
Lt. j.g. Thomas Dunlap 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 the procedures and skills needed to fly naval aircraft both effectively and efficiently for the fleet.
“Eveyday is a new challenge that requires my best,” Dunlap said. “There is nothing more satisfying than working hard in pursuing your dream and seeing it all come together. Also, there is nothing more thrilling than flying within feet of another aircraft piloted by your best friend.”
Dunlap credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Versailles.
“I learned persistence, perseverance and teamwork, and these helped me overcome the struggles and obstacles I faced in flight school,” Dunlap said.
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.
Dunlap 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, Dunlap’s proudest accomplishments are becoming a commissioned naval officer, finishing primary flight school and being selected for a carrier based aircraft.
“It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and it’s been a long winding road full of setbacks and triumphs,” Dunlap said. “To see this lifelong dream fulfilled gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Dunlap, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Dunlap is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather from my mother's side, served in the Merchant Marines and my grandfather from my father's side, was a navigator at an Air Force fueling squadron,” Dunlap said. “I also have four uncles who served in the military, from a Coast Guard commander to an Air Force mechanic, and it's an honor to follow in their footsteps and to continue the legacy of giving back to my country and community.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Dunlap 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 means having the opportunity to give back to my community, to help those less fortunate than myself around the world and to defend the ideals on which this country was founded on,” Dunlap said.
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning the procedures and skills needed to fly naval aircraft both effectively and efficiently for the fleet.
“Eveyday is a new challenge that requires my best,” Dunlap said. “There is nothing more satisfying than working hard in pursuing your dream and seeing it all come together. Also, there is nothing more thrilling than flying within feet of another aircraft piloted by your best friend.”
Dunlap credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Versailles.
“I learned persistence, perseverance and teamwork, and these helped me overcome the struggles and obstacles I faced in flight school,” Dunlap said.
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.
Dunlap 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, Dunlap’s proudest accomplishments are becoming a commissioned naval officer, finishing primary flight school and being selected for a carrier based aircraft.
“It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and it’s been a long winding road full of setbacks and triumphs,” Dunlap said. “To see this lifelong dream fulfilled gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Dunlap, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Dunlap is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather from my mother's side, served in the Merchant Marines and my grandfather from my father's side, was a navigator at an Air Force fueling squadron,” Dunlap said. “I also have four uncles who served in the military, from a Coast Guard commander to an Air Force mechanic, and it's an honor to follow in their footsteps and to continue the legacy of giving back to my country and community.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Dunlap 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 means having the opportunity to give back to my community, to help those less fortunate than myself around the world and to defend the ideals on which this country was founded on,” Dunlap said.