LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Airman Apprentice Jay O’Neal, this story has ties to LaGrange, Georgia, 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 |
“Growing up, I learned things like discipline, accountability for things that happen and being good when you may or may not have anyone watching you,” O’Neal said. “That’s what they preach to us all the time in the Navy, to have those three standards. When you don’t, you’re not only making yourself look bad, you’re making the Navy look bad, and you don’t want people to think you’re a bad person or that the Navy is bad.”
O’Neal attended LaGrange High School and finished in an online program in 2024.
O’Neal joined the Navy one year ago.
“I joined the Navy because military service runs in my family,” O’Neal said. “My grandad was in the Navy. I decided this was what I wanted to do instead of going to school.”
Today, O’Neal serves as an aviation electrician’s mate assigned to the “Black Aces” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41 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.
O’Neal has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment is graduating from boot camp,” O’Neal said. “I was 17 when I left home, and I turned 18 at boot camp. It was the first time I’d been away from home. Experiencing all of that, being away from home and it being my first job, was a reality check.”
O’Neal 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 a lot to me,” O’Neal said. “My family is proud of me, and a lot of the people I grew up with, my friends, are all pretty proud of me too.”
O’Neal is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my grandad, Michael O’Neal,” O’Neal said. “He was a Chief Warrant Officer 5 machinist’s mate and retired after 20 years. He’s had a big influence on my Navy career so far.”