A 2013 graduate of Nettleton High School, Aircrewman Operator 2nd Class Hayden Lee began his college education at Itawamba Community College before transferring to the University of Mississippi, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2017.
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| U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan A. LeCompte |
The Nettleton, Mississippi, native was employed as a youth physical education and health teacher in Okolona upon graduation. During the lockdowns of COVID-19, Lee reached a turning point, reflecting on what he truly wanted to do for the rest of his life.
“I had a full-time job, left it, and took that leap of faith,” Lee said.
He felt his calling was to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Today, Lee specializes in tracking submarines by using sound in the water and helps monitor the ocean battlespace aboard a P-8A Poseidon. He is assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 4, a maritime patrol squadron based in Whidbey Island, Washington.
During a recent deployment to Guam, he collaborated with allied partners during Sea Dragon 2026. Sea Dragon is a U.S.-led, multinational exercise designed to train anti-submarine warfare tactics and to operate together in response to maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
AWO2 said his favorite part of the job is the camaraderie that comes with being in the Navy.
“Everybody comes from different places, backgrounds, and family situations, but the kind of relationships you build in the Navy is something I’ve never seen before,” Lee said. “Everybody is going through all of this together, and you’re learning and growing up.”