By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevan Gentile, a native of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, joined the Navy to follow his step-father's example.
“My stepfather was in the Navy,” said Gentile. “He was my role model and the person I strive to be like every day. He was also a recruiter so that helped me with the process.”
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“Being a part of the largest operational squadron in the Navy, it is constantly busy in the office,” said Gentile. “But since we are all family here you barely notice you are working at all.”
Gentile, a 2016 graduate of Jim Thorpe High School, is a yeoman with VQ-1, a state-of-the-art intelligence-gathering squadron flying the EP-3 “Aires,” a variant of the venerable P-3C “Orion.”
“As a Navy Yeoman, I deal with a lot of administrative work,” said Gentile. “Anything from writing Navy correspondence to Naval awards.”
Gentile credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Jim Thorpe.
“One thing I carry with me from my hometown is that nothing is given to you,” said Gentile. “You have to prove yourself and be motivated!”
Members of VQ-1 conduct reconnaissance as well as intelligence-gathering missions. They deploy around the world to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
The EP-3 “Aires” is a land-based, long-range, signals intelligence-gathering aircraft. It is a variant of the P-3C “Orion,” which has been in operation since the 1960s. They are still in service and performing missions all over the world.
Serving in the Navy means Gentile is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that 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.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Gentile is most proud of earning Blue Jacket of the Year and being an All-Navy Wrestler.
“Being awarded the Blue Jacket of the Year was my most proud moment,” said Gentile. “Also getting the chance to wrestle on the All-Navy team was a great time. Both of these prove to me that hard work does pay off.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Gentile and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Being in the Navy is an honor,” said Gentile. “Just knowing that I'm a part of something greater than myself and carrying on the legacy that people before me have set.”