SAN DIEGO – Lt. Paul Masteller, a native of Santa Paula, California, serves the U.S. Navy as a member of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 50 located in San Diego, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne |
Masteller joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Masteller serves as a Navy pilot supporting missions flown by the Navy’s newest long-range, medium-lift aircraft: the CMV-22B Osprey.
“I joined the Navy out of a sense of service to my country,” said Masteller. “My uncle served in the Marine Corps and then became a pilot, so I was interested in following in his footsteps while finding my own path by joining the Navy.”
Growing up in Santa Paula, Masteller attended Santa Paula High School and graduated in 2010. Today, Masteller uses the same skills and values learned in Santa Paula to succeed in the military.
“The community where I grew up was very supportive,” said Masteller. “The people I grew up with taught me to treat everyone with respect and kindness. If you live life that way, it fosters a culture of support. I maintain that mindset today while serving as a division officer.”
The CMV-22B is the Navy’s version of the U.S. Marines’ V-22 Osprey. It is designed to replace the C-2A Greyhound, which has provided logistical support to aircraft carriers for four decades.
CMV-22Bs are vertical takeoff and landing tilt-rotor aircraft, which have an increased operational range, faster cargo loading/unloading, increased survivability and enhanced communications compared to the C-2A Greyhound.
According to Navy officials, the mission of the CMV-22B is to provide timely, persistent air logistics for sustained carrier strike group lethality, anywhere in the world.
“I’m amazed by what our sailors at VRM 50 have achieved over the past 10 months,” said Cmdr. Eric Ponsart, VRM 50's commanding officer. “Standing up the Navy’s newest Fleet Replacement squadron from scratch and having it ready to receive its first aircraft is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the mission. It’s been an honor serving side-by-side with these fellow SunHawks. We look forward to delivering the best pilots and aircrew to the fleet.”
Serving in the Navy means Masteller 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.
“The Navy's ability to have a forward presence, and execute diplomacy through presence demonstrates support for our allies and as a show of strength,” said Masteller.
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Masteller and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of my unit's ability to coordinate the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with zero positive cases during a deployment overseas,” said Masteller.
As Masteller and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means doing something greater than yourself,” added Masteller.