PENSACOLA, Fla. – Airman Apprentice Matthew Ranks, a native of Yukon, Oklahoma, serves the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) in Pensacola, Florida.
 |
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anna-Liesa Hussey Navy Office of Community Outreach |
As a student at NATTC, Ranks is serving among sailors and Marines developing the skills needed to be successful naval aviation warfighters.
Students at NATTC are taught the requirements and skills needed to be successful in their new careers.
Ranks joined the Navy three months ago.
“My grandfather and family were the biggest inspirations for my decision to join the Navy,” said Ranks.
According to Ranks, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Yukon.
“Growing up, it was instilled in me to work hard and have perseverance from a young age,” said Ranks.
NATTC’s mission is to provide world class professional aviation warriors to the Navy fleet supporting combat readiness anywhere on the globe, while taking good care of our people, families and being good neighbors and stewards in the city of Pensacola and the surrounding region.
The training center’s leaders and experts develop, deliver and leverage technology to optimize performance of our Navy, Marine Corps and foreign national students. We provide the most up-to-date and relevant training available to our sailors and Marines ensuring Naval aviation’s success.
Serving in the Navy means Ranks 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.
“The Navy plays a huge role in national security by utilizing the world’s largest fleets and air forces to protect us from global threats,” said Ranks.
Ranks and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“So far, my proudest achievement in the Navy has been graduating from boot camp and being a flag bearer for my class there,” said Ranks.
As Ranks 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.
“Serving in the Navy, for me, is a way I can give back to a country that has given me a great life,” added Ranks. “It has also given me a way to provide my daughter a good life and a pathway to college.”
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.