Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller
LEMOORE, Calif. – A 2009 Cheyenne East High School graduate and Cheyenne, Wyoming, native is serving in the U.S. Navy with Fleet Readiness Center West where Commander Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet is located.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Rognoni works as an aviation ordnanceman and operates out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.A Navy aviation ordnanceman is a gun technician responsible for maintaining weapons aboard the aircraft.
“I grew up in the country which taught me country values, like treating everyone with respect,” said Rognoni. “We work with a lot of different people from different places, so it is important to maintain those values with your crew.”
The strike fighter wing, headquartered at NAS Lemoore, ensures that each squadron is fully combat-ready to conduct carrier-based, all-weather, attack, fighter and support missions for the Pacific Fleet.
Sailors stationed in Lemoore are responsible for the operation of the airfield, providing services and support to the Naval Air Station, tenant and transiting aircraft. They also provide firefighting functions, both structural and rescue and conduct shipboard firefighting training.
Rognoni has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My dad is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force,” said Rognoni. “The military is really all I know because of him. I always wanted to join the service. I wanted to do my own thing, so I joined the Navy.”
Rognoni is also proud of earning an Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal for volunteering in different countries during deployment and a Navy Achievement Medal for being selected as Fleet Readiness Center West Shore Sailor of the Year in 2017.
With the CSFWP consisting of more than 20 squadrons, highly specialized jobs range from training new aviators to maintaining airframes and engines, to handling and flying aircraft.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Rognoni and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I love my country,” Rognoni added. “It's one of the reasons I joined. The main reason I serve is for the United States.”