SAN DIEGO – Senior Chief Petty Officer Khyim Bonas, a native of Inglewood, California, was inspired by a high school friend who joined the Navy.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
“He went to deployment right away and he had all these great stories about all the ports he had been to,” said Bonas.” Back then I was worried about how I was going to make money. I thought the military gave you food and shelter and you volunteered your work. I asked him how he made money and he said 'I get paid every two weeks.' So I went to the recruiter and signed up.”
Now, 19 years later, Bonas, a 2000 graduate of Morningside High School, is an operations specialist at the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS), which specializes in training sailors in the employment of shipboard weapon systems. Specifically, Bonas was hand selected to help oversee the Navy’s warfighting curriculum in its newest combat trainer, the Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense / Anti-Submarine Warfare Trainer (CIAT), a state-of-the art tactical simulator that allows instructors like Bonas to train a more capable fleet.
“I've been here a couple years now, and the exciting thing is getting to talk with the sailors about tactics and training them," said Bonas. "The trainer and simulator is really cutting edge and it's potential hasn't been completely tapped into yet. I've been here from the start. We help out other detachments, so I've had the opportunity to travel. I've been to Japan, Washington, and Norfolk.”
Now, 19 years later, Bonas, a 2000 graduate of Morningside High School, is an operations specialist at the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS), which specializes in training sailors in the employment of shipboard weapon systems. Specifically, Bonas was hand selected to help oversee the Navy’s warfighting curriculum in its newest combat trainer, the Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense / Anti-Submarine Warfare Trainer (CIAT), a state-of-the art tactical simulator that allows instructors like Bonas to train a more capable fleet.
“I've been here a couple years now, and the exciting thing is getting to talk with the sailors about tactics and training them," said Bonas. "The trainer and simulator is really cutting edge and it's potential hasn't been completely tapped into yet. I've been here from the start. We help out other detachments, so I've had the opportunity to travel. I've been to Japan, Washington, and Norfolk.”
CSCS’s mission is to develop and deliver surface ship combat systems training to achieve surface warfare superiority. The Command provides over 538 courses and trains over 38,000 Sailors each year. CSCS delivers specialized training for Officer and Enlisted Sailors to tactically operate, maintain, and employ shipboard and shore-based weapons, sensors, and command and control systems utilized in today’s Navy.
“Bonas represents the very best of our Navy team,” Lt. Cmdr. Reisheid Dixon, the officer in charge of CSCS San Diego, added. “The high level of knowledge and tactical expertise of our Instructors ensures we are providing the most challenging and valuable training to the waterfront.”
There are many reasons to be proud of naval service, and Bonas is most proud of being selected as a chief petty officer in 2016.
“To achieve this, I worked hard, but I owe it to the sailors I worked with,” said Bonas. “I joined the Navy to do something positive and possibly build a foundation for my future. I could never have imagined that I would make it to where I am now. Family played a big role in my accomplishment.”
“Serving in the Navy is an honor and a privilege,” he continued. “I love the camaraderie and the opportunities that contribute to the quality of life for my family.”
America is a maritime nation, and the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,”said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Bonas and other sailors and staff know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, serving as a key part of the Navy the Nation needs.
Bonas credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Inglewood.
“My hometown slogan is 'The City of Champions.' I keep that close in representing myself well while being humble,” said Bonas.