SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Hagestuen, a native of Aitkin, Minnesota, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Combat Squadron 23.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joseph Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Hagestuen graduated from Aitkin High School in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Aitkin.
“I came from a large farming and tradesman town,” Hagestuen said. "I learned how to finish what you start. I was instilled with a work ethic from early on which is very applicable to my day-to-day life in the Navy. We have a very interconnected community and it emulates how my town of Aitkin."
Hagestuen joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Hagestuen serves as a naval air crewman (helicopter).
“I knew I didn't want to go right to college,” Hagestuen said. "I have always felt drawn to special operations. I was always watching military films and the prospects the Navy offered aligned with my goals the most."
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing sea combat platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include airborne mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Hagestuen has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment was getting mapped to second class and making it through the rescue swimmer pipeline,” Hagestuen said. "The intensity of the training far exceeded anything I had experienced before. There is a high attrition rate and to be part of the select few who make it through and then to perform at a level where I was expedited in my promotion proved I joined the right community."
Hagestuen serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“It is a sense of purpose with my work every day,” Hagestuen said. "I have the opportunity to be a part of something larger than myself every day. I can be in a job where not only do I get to save lives, but I also get to do so while serving this country. I get the opportunity to live by our motto, 'so others may live' every day."
Hagestuen is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“Definitely my family,” Hagestuen added. "My parents and my grandparents always provided the support I needed. My wife has stuck with me every step of the way and been the backbone of our family."RIMPAC was one of the best experiences I have had,” Hagestuen said. "The opportunity to work with several of our partner allies was an experience unlike any other. Getting to execute countermine measures and work with different special operations communities from different nations was an unreal experience."