KINGSVILLE, Texas - A 2013 Watertown High School graduate and Watertown, Wisconsin, 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 Daniel Peters 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 how to fly naval training aircraft safely and proficiently in order to later fly Navy fleet aircraft.
“It's the perfect blend of learning and applying STEAM, while being surrounded by some of the brightest and most motivated people I have ever met,” Peters said.
Peters credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Watertown.
“Hard work pays off, but taking time to relax and be with family and friends is absolutely necessary for continued success and mental health,” Peters said. “Also, success is dependent on who you surround yourself with.”
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.
Peters 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, Peters is most proud of graduating and commissioning from Marquette University in 2017.
“It's validation for me,” Peters said. “College isn’t easy and I accomplished the goals I set in high school to get my degree and become a naval officer.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Peters 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 I have the opportunity for financial security, travel and meeting lifelong friends,” Peters said.
A Navy student pilot is responsible for learning how to fly naval training aircraft safely and proficiently in order to later fly Navy fleet aircraft.
“It's the perfect blend of learning and applying STEAM, while being surrounded by some of the brightest and most motivated people I have ever met,” Peters said.
Peters credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Watertown.
“Hard work pays off, but taking time to relax and be with family and friends is absolutely necessary for continued success and mental health,” Peters said. “Also, success is dependent on who you surround yourself with.”
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.
Peters 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, Peters is most proud of graduating and commissioning from Marquette University in 2017.
“It's validation for me,” Peters said. “College isn’t easy and I accomplished the goals I set in high school to get my degree and become a naval officer.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Peters 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 I have the opportunity for financial security, travel and meeting lifelong friends,” Peters said.