JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Neihemiah Chadwick, a native of Fontana, California, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74.
Chadwick graduated from Fontana High School in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Fontana.
“Growing up, I learned that being a leader requires you to serve those who are under your charge,” Chadwick said. “That has helped me because I have a lot of junior sailors under me. Instead of just giving them orders, I give them the tools to be successful. I invest in a lot of the junior sailors in and outside of work, and help them pursue their goals.”
Chadwick joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Chadwick serves as a tactical helicopter crewman.
“My grandfather served in the Navy,” Chadwick said. “I had a passion to serve people. I saw a YouTube video of a Navy search and rescue swimmer and knew I wanted to do that.”
Members of HSM-74 fly and maintain the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60R is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, 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.
Chadwick has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I rescued an individual who fell off a large commercial ship in the Red Sea,” Chadwick said. “I rescued him in the ocean and provided him with medical aid before returning him to his ship. Search and rescue is not our primary mission, but getting the opportunity to fulfill the goal that I wanted to do, which was to actually save a person, was an amazing feeling. It was great to fulfill that dream of actually rescuing and saving a person’s life.”
Chadwick serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“You are not the only one sacrificing something,” Chadwick said. “Your coworkers, your spouse and your family are all sacrificing. You can’t get to where you want to be by yourself. I had a lot of support from leadership, who invested a lot of time into me to ensure I got to where I needed to be to save someone.”
Chadwick is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my wife, Hailey, for supporting me during deployments and helping to take care of our 2-month-old son,” Chadwick said. “I also want to thank my parents for teaching me to never quit.”
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Hanchar |
Chadwick graduated from Fontana High School in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Fontana.
“Growing up, I learned that being a leader requires you to serve those who are under your charge,” Chadwick said. “That has helped me because I have a lot of junior sailors under me. Instead of just giving them orders, I give them the tools to be successful. I invest in a lot of the junior sailors in and outside of work, and help them pursue their goals.”
Chadwick joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Chadwick serves as a tactical helicopter crewman.
“My grandfather served in the Navy,” Chadwick said. “I had a passion to serve people. I saw a YouTube video of a Navy search and rescue swimmer and knew I wanted to do that.”
Members of HSM-74 fly and maintain the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60R is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, 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.
Chadwick has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I rescued an individual who fell off a large commercial ship in the Red Sea,” Chadwick said. “I rescued him in the ocean and provided him with medical aid before returning him to his ship. Search and rescue is not our primary mission, but getting the opportunity to fulfill the goal that I wanted to do, which was to actually save a person, was an amazing feeling. It was great to fulfill that dream of actually rescuing and saving a person’s life.”
Chadwick serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“You are not the only one sacrificing something,” Chadwick said. “Your coworkers, your spouse and your family are all sacrificing. You can’t get to where you want to be by yourself. I had a lot of support from leadership, who invested a lot of time into me to ensure I got to where I needed to be to save someone.”
Chadwick is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my wife, Hailey, for supporting me during deployments and helping to take care of our 2-month-old son,” Chadwick said. “I also want to thank my parents for teaching me to never quit.”