SAN DIEGO - Lt. Connor Daniels, a native of Portland, Indiana, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23.
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joey Sitter, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West |
Daniels graduated from Jay County High School in 2016.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Portland.
“Being involved in sports growing up taught me the importance of knowing my strengths and my teammates' strengths,” Daniels said. “I was on the swim relay team and knowing where others excelled, helped everyone be successful. Being from the Midwest, there are also a lot of people who are willing to talk to anyone. That is an important skill that carries over into the Navy. Lastly, I learned a hard work ethic from my hometown. It is a blue-collar area where everyone works hard. That made the transition easier to the Navy because I see the same hard work ethic here and it kind of feels like home in a way.”
Daniels joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Daniels serves as a pilot.
“I joined the Navy because I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was three or four years old,” Daniels said. “When I saw Top Gun, that was it for me and I knew I was going to be a pilot.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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.
Daniels has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of earning my Wings of Gold because it took a long time and everything had to go right for me to get them,” Daniels said. “It was everything coming to fruition after years of me working towards them.”
Daniels 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 is a huge source of pride,” Daniels said. “My family has served in the military in almost every conflict the country has had. So, continuing my family legacy of service is a huge source of pride. Coming from a rural area, people have a sense of pride and patriotic duty. Being able to take that torch and be one of the people who participate in defending the country means everything to me.
Daniels is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my parents for continuing to push me,” Daniels added. “Even if I was doing well at something, they never let me slack off. I also want to thank my coach, Barry Weaver, for continuing to push me and for mentoring me throughout my time in high school. He was a huge influence on me. I want to thank my high school teacher, Chrissy Krieg, for instilling great values in me that I still think about daily. Lastly, I want to thank Chief Cliff Moser for his continued mentorship and support in my career.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Portland.
“Being involved in sports growing up taught me the importance of knowing my strengths and my teammates' strengths,” Daniels said. “I was on the swim relay team and knowing where others excelled, helped everyone be successful. Being from the Midwest, there are also a lot of people who are willing to talk to anyone. That is an important skill that carries over into the Navy. Lastly, I learned a hard work ethic from my hometown. It is a blue-collar area where everyone works hard. That made the transition easier to the Navy because I see the same hard work ethic here and it kind of feels like home in a way.”
Daniels joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Daniels serves as a pilot.
“I joined the Navy because I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was three or four years old,” Daniels said. “When I saw Top Gun, that was it for me and I knew I was going to be a pilot.”
Members of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing maritime strike platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions. Some of the most common operations include strikes on maritime targets, submarine hunting and attack, electronic warfare, search and rescue, medical evacuations and supply support.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
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.
Daniels has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of earning my Wings of Gold because it took a long time and everything had to go right for me to get them,” Daniels said. “It was everything coming to fruition after years of me working towards them.”
Daniels 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 is a huge source of pride,” Daniels said. “My family has served in the military in almost every conflict the country has had. So, continuing my family legacy of service is a huge source of pride. Coming from a rural area, people have a sense of pride and patriotic duty. Being able to take that torch and be one of the people who participate in defending the country means everything to me.
Daniels is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.“I want to thank my parents for continuing to push me,” Daniels added. “Even if I was doing well at something, they never let me slack off. I also want to thank my coach, Barry Weaver, for continuing to push me and for mentoring me throughout my time in high school. He was a huge influence on me. I want to thank my high school teacher, Chrissy Krieg, for instilling great values in me that I still think about daily. Lastly, I want to thank Chief Cliff Moser for his continued mentorship and support in my career.”