PENSACOLA, Fla. - Ensign Jacqueline McNulla, a native of Plainfield, New Jersey, is serving the U.S. Navy at Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC).
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anna-Liesa Hussey |
As a student at NASC, McNulla is serving among sailors, Marines and guardsmen developing the skills needed to be combat-ready aviation professionals. NASC is located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, provides an educational foundation in technical training, character development, and professional leadership.
Students at NASC are taught the requirements and skills needed to be successful in their new careers.
McNulla joined the Navy five years ago. Today, McNulla serves as a student naval aviator.
“When I was looking at colleges, the Naval Academy stood out to me because of the opportunity it provided,” said McNulla. “I was attracted to the comradery and the overall mission the Navy offered.”
According to McNulla, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Plainfield.
“Growing up in Catholic schools, I learned the importance of morality and always striving to do what is right, which fits well with the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment,” said McNulla.
NASC provides educational foundation in technical training, character development and professional leadership to prepare Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and partner nations Officer and Enlisted to be the combat quality aviation professionals their nation needs.
NASC is comprised of four schoolhouses: Aviation Training School (ATS), Aviation Enlisted Aircrew Training (AEATS), Aviation Rescue Swimmer School (ARSS) and Aviation Water Survival School (AWS), which provide instruction in 14 different curricula. In fiscal year 2021, ATS staff conducted 2,250 hours of classroom instruction and 17,095 hours of flight instruction; graduated 1,140 pilots and 217 Naval Flight Officers. AEATS graduated 1,237 students, ARSS graduated 245 students and AWS, including Detachment Swim Sites Norfolk and Pearl Harbor provided training for 6,479 students.
Serving in the Navy means McNulla is part of a team 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.
“I think one of the nation’s biggest assets in conflict deterrence is the Navy’s ability to project power anywhere in the world,” said McNulla.
McNulla and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of receiving a Navy Achievement Medal while at the Naval Academy for the work I did taking care of fellow midshipmen who were isolated during the pandemic,” said McNulla. “It is pretty rare to receive this kind of recognition prior to graduating,”
As McNulla and other sailors continue to train and perform the mission they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“By serving in the Navy, I feel like I’m doing something important with my life and that all the training I am completing will set me up for a lifetime of success,” added McNulla.
The Naval Education and Training Command is the U.S. Navy’s Force Development pillar and largest shore command. Through its “Street to Fleet” focus, Naval Education and Training Command recruits civilians and transforms them into skilled warfighters ready to meet the current and future needs of the U.S. Navy.