SAN DIEGO - Airman Ethan Robert Smith, a 2022 graduate of Wichita Northwest High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, at Naval Air Station North Island, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caleb Kissner, Fleet Public Affairs Center San Diego |
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Wichita, where Smith’s grandmother still lives.
“Growing up in a small town taught me to see that things aren’t always what they seem,” Smith said. “Knowing that, while yes, perception is a key thing here, when you get to know certain people, you realize they’re not always trying to be hard on you, it’s just how they operate. Being in the Navy has also taught me a lot of discipline.”
Smith joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Smith serves as an aviation machinist’s mate.
“I joined the Navy because I have loved naval ships since I was a kid playing ‘Battleship,’” Smith said. “I grew up loving the battleship, USS Iowa. Most of my family have been in the military. My mom was in the Army, my grandfather was in the Air Force, my great-grandfather was in the Army Air Corps and my great-great-grandfather served in the Army in World War I. My little brother is about to be a Marine.”
The “Eightballers” of HSC-8 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s versatile and most advanced rotary wing maritime platform. Their missions include airborne mine countermeasures, combat search and rescue, anti-surface warfare, combat logistics and medevac.
Smith has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of earning my plane captain qualification,” Smith said. “It was one step closer for me toward my shop and being able to do my actual job. I’m also proud of getting a letter of recommendation from an anime convention for volunteering with them.”
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
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.
“The Navy for me means a fresh start and a new journey into the unknown,” Smith said.
Smith is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents: my mom and stepdad, KaDee and Jamien Sybesma, and my dad, Timothy Smith, for supporting me through everything,” Smith said. “I also want to thank Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Latarvdrea. I want to shout out Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caleb Kissner for being a really good friend and being there for me when I’m stuck, just like I’m there for him when he’s stuck.”