MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Cale Yoder, whose extended family resides in Decatur, Indiana, is serving in the U.S. Navy assigned to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Maintenance Detachment (VTUAV DET) Point Mugu, California.
Yoder, a 2015 graduate of South Adams High School in Berne, Indiana, joined the Navy nine and a half years ago.
"I joined the Navy to serve this great nation and as a way of paying back the privilege I have, I grew up in a country with so much freedom and opportunity," Yoder said. "I also joined so I could leave my landlocked state and go out and see the world. I think being stationed in Japan and visiting multiple ports in the South China Sea is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially when you go for free."
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Berne.
"I learned from both my grandfathers as well as my dad, the value of hard work and the sense of accomplishment from doing your jobs the right way without taking shortcuts or complaining," Yoder said. "The values instilled in me were instrumental in me excelling in my job as an aviation structural mechanic for the first nine years of my career before transitioning to robotics warfare specialist."
Today, Yoder serves as a robotics warfare specialist responsible for all robotic systems within the Navy’s hybrid fleet to maintain their readiness for missions and combat effectiveness.
Yoder took part in an experimental course at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from June 3rd to July 19th, to help develop the future "A" school for the Navy's new Robotics Warfare Specialist program.
VTUAV DET Point Mugu is where the U.S. Navy keeps their MQ-8C Firescouts when they're not being utilized by certain helicopter squadrons, as well as keeping them in operational status and updating them for when they're needed in the fleet.
According to Navy officials, the MQ-8C Firescout is an unmanned helicopter that has autonomous take-off and landing capability used for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition.
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.
Yoder has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
"While stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, I received a citation for superior performance and was named Sailor of the Quarter in 2019, while also receiving a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for superior performance of my duties in June of 2020," Yoder said. "I was named both Sailor of the Quarter and Sailor of the Year in 2023 for Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Maintenance Detachment, and also received a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for being named Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific Shore Sailor of the Year for 2023."
"Winning the Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific Shore Sailor of the Year for 2023 is more than just an individual achievement, as it represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and the support of those who have shaped me into the sailor I am today," Yoder added. "This recognition is not just about my personal efforts, but also a testament to the outstanding teams I have had the privilege to serve with, the mentors who have guided me and the junior sailors I have had the honor to lead."
Yoder can take pride in serving America through military service.
"To me, serving the Navy means paying back the freedom I was born with, as well as protecting my family and friends," Yoder said. "It has given me multiple skills that are invaluable that I can use for the rest of my life, and it has set me up to have a bright future once I retire from the Navy."
Yoder is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
"I would like to thank my mom and dad, as well as the rest of my family for the love they give as well as being supportive of my decision to serve," added Yoder. "Their encouragement has meant the world to me, and I wouldn't be the man I am today without them."