OAK HARBOR, Wash. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Gwendolyn Cheetham, a native of Glendale, Arizona, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 9 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
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| Photo by Ashley Craig |
Cheetham graduated from Greenway High School in 2021.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Glendale.
“Growing up, I learned you need to have a hard work ethic and drive to get anywhere or be successful,” said Cheetham. “You can’t just give the bare minimum in this job. It’s a lot of hard work and there’s a lot of intensive training that goes into it.”
Cheetham joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Cheetham serves as a naval air crewman (operator).
“I had a whole bunch of family who joined the Navy and that influenced me, but I knew even when I was young that I wanted to join the Navy,” said Cheetham. “I just didn’t know what job I wanted to do. I wanted to be an aviation ordnanceman at first, but when I was joining they asked me if I wanted to be on aircrew and after an explanation, I saw that aircrew was absolutely the right fit for me.”
Members of VP-9 fly and maintain the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft. Designed to secure the U.S. Navy’s future in long-range maritime patrol capability, the P-8A has transformed how the Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force will train, operate and deploy, according to Navy officials. P-8A aircraft deploy around the globe to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”
Cheetham has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of making it to my first command and getting through my first deployment,” said Cheetham. “I finished all of my training while in deployment. It was a split site, so I went to two different locations. I was in the mission more in one place, but it was fun and definitely a learning experience.”
Cheetham serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means being able to protect our loved ones,” said Cheetham. “It means being able to be part of the big picture of protecting everyone and being able to do actual missions that help America.”
Cheetham is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my grandparents, Rhonda and Ernie Cheetham,” added Cheetham. “They raised me. They always told me to do what I wanted to do. There was a point where I wasn’t going to join the Navy because of a significant other, but my grandparents told me to do what I wanted to do and they knew that I wanted to push myself. They knew this was the right path for me.”
Cheetham is proud of the decision to join the Navy.“Joining the military was the best decision I ever made for myself and pushed me to things I never thought I could do,” said Cheetham. “I made it through SERE school, one of the hardest training programs I’ve ever done. Being a woman in the military has shown me how important it is to be a good female role model and that there are female support systems here for everyone.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Glendale.
“Growing up, I learned you need to have a hard work ethic and drive to get anywhere or be successful,” said Cheetham. “You can’t just give the bare minimum in this job. It’s a lot of hard work and there’s a lot of intensive training that goes into it.”
Cheetham joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Cheetham serves as a naval air crewman (operator).
“I had a whole bunch of family who joined the Navy and that influenced me, but I knew even when I was young that I wanted to join the Navy,” said Cheetham. “I just didn’t know what job I wanted to do. I wanted to be an aviation ordnanceman at first, but when I was joining they asked me if I wanted to be on aircrew and after an explanation, I saw that aircrew was absolutely the right fit for me.”
Members of VP-9 fly and maintain the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft. Designed to secure the U.S. Navy’s future in long-range maritime patrol capability, the P-8A has transformed how the Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force will train, operate and deploy, according to Navy officials. P-8A aircraft deploy around the globe to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”
Cheetham has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of making it to my first command and getting through my first deployment,” said Cheetham. “I finished all of my training while in deployment. It was a split site, so I went to two different locations. I was in the mission more in one place, but it was fun and definitely a learning experience.”
Cheetham serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means being able to protect our loved ones,” said Cheetham. “It means being able to be part of the big picture of protecting everyone and being able to do actual missions that help America.”
Cheetham is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my grandparents, Rhonda and Ernie Cheetham,” added Cheetham. “They raised me. They always told me to do what I wanted to do. There was a point where I wasn’t going to join the Navy because of a significant other, but my grandparents told me to do what I wanted to do and they knew that I wanted to push myself. They knew this was the right path for me.”
Cheetham is proud of the decision to join the Navy.“Joining the military was the best decision I ever made for myself and pushed me to things I never thought I could do,” said Cheetham. “I made it through SERE school, one of the hardest training programs I’ve ever done. Being a woman in the military has shown me how important it is to be a good female role model and that there are female support systems here for everyone.”