NORFOLK, Va. - Chief Petty Officer Logan Hagerty, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, serves aboard USS George H.W. Bush, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sylvie Carafiol Navy Public Affairs Support Element East |
Hagerty graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in 2011.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Jacksonville.
“My hometown has taught me the importance of having a close inner circle,” Hagerty said.
Hagerty joined the Navy 14 years ago. Today, Hagerty serves as an aviation boatswain's mate (fuels).
“I joined the Navy to build a good foundation for a future family,” Hagerty said.
Hagerty is also on the team that serves as handlers for Lt. Cmdr. Fathom, Bush’s expeditionary facility dog. The fox red English Labrador retriever is on loan to the ship from Mutts With A Mission and serves to provide emotional support and improve morale aboard the ship. The nearly 3-year-old dog serves aboard the ship in port and at sea.
“Being a dog handler is fun,” Hagerty said. “I really enjoy watching Fathom bring joy to other sailors.”
Commissioned in 2009, the aircraft carrier is named for George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States and a former naval aviator. The ship was the first aircraft carrier to have its namesake participate in its christening.
Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide.
The Navy’s aircraft carriers are among the largest warships in the world. Bush is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. More than 5,000 sailors serve aboard these self-contained mobile airports.
According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and combat capability of its air wing.
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.
Hagerty has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment has been making chief,” Hagerty said. "Thirteen years of hard work, deploying with good crews and motivated sailors; it all paid off."
Hagerty serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy to me means working on a daily basis to support a bigger goal,” Hagerty said. "It makes me feel like I'm something bigger than myself."
Hagerty is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my wife and AMCB Dennis Yanez,” Hagerty added. "My wife supports the household with our two boys, and Dennis Yanez has been my mentor since I was an E-1."