LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Airman Apprentice Ian Griffey, this story has ties to Greenville, Michigan, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink |
“I was on the wrestling team during high school,” Griffey said. “I enjoyed being part of a team, working on a common goal and leading them to success. I grew up hearing war stories as well as all the benefits the Navy had for me from my family and wanted to take advantage of them.”
Griffey graduated from Greenville Senior High School in 2025.
Griffey joined the Navy one year ago.
“I joined the Navy looking for an alternative to the traditional college route,” Griffey said. “I knew I didn't want to sit behind a desk on a screen all day and the Navy gave me the opportunity to work with my hands while traveling the world.”
Today, Griffey serves as an aviation ordnanceman assigned to the “Tophatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore.
NAS Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing. More than half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft reside here, and it is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II.
Carrier strike groups, and the embarked aviation squadrons, are the cornerstone of U.S. naval power projection and sea power. They can quickly maneuver thousands of miles with the world’s most capable warships and top-notch Sailors, remaining on station in areas of interest without relying on land bases or overflight agreements. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are the most adaptable, lethal, and survivable airfields in the world and their presence serves as the most credible commitment to our Allies and partners.
Naval aviation provides the Navy and our nation with a flexible, adaptable, and lethal force to preserve peace, respond in crises, and win decisively in combat. The U.S. Navy maintains and operates more than 2,000 aircraft to fulfill various mission sets in order to preserve the American way of life and ensure freedom, security and 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.
Griffey has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am very proud of how much I have grown as a sailor,” Griffey said. “The Navy has taught me so much in such a short amount of time including personal, professional and financial growth.
Griffey serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
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. More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/
“Serving in the Navy means giving your all for your fellow Americans and brothers and sisters out in the fleet,” Griffey said. “We as Americans get to enjoy a lot of freedoms that people around the world don't get to and I am proud I get the opportunity to protect and defend those freedoms.”
Griffey is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my mom, Jill, for raising me to be the man I am today,” Griffey said. “Having people that care about you and that are in your corner makes this job that much more important.”