LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Gallahan, this story has ties to Modesto, California, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy.
“In high school I was on the baseball team and played third base,” Gallahan said. “I had great coaches that instilled in me an amazing work ethic and a team mentality. These values have helped me a lot out here in the fleet where our motto is ‘one team one fight’.”
Gallahan graduated from Enochs High School in 2019.
Gallahan joined the Navy seven years ago.
“I joined the Navy to follow in my grandfather's footsteps and give back to this great country,” Gallahan said. “The Navy provides structure and accountability and I know this career will help me become the best version of myself and set me up for a better life down the line.”
Today, Gallahan serves as an air traffic controller 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.
Gallahan has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of the man the Navy has made me,” Gallahan said. “I have learned so many amazing skills and work every day alongside the brightest this country has to offer. During my seven years I have been able to not only graduate from air traffic control school but also earned a supervisor designation for the tower. I am also a graduate from the Navy's expeditionary combat school.”
Gallahan 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 being a part of the bigger picture,” Gallahan said. “Sailors go out every day in an effort to protect and defend the rights and freedoms of their fellow Americans back at home. I work hard every day to not only make my family proud but also make my fellow Americans and country proud. I wear the country's fabric on my uniform and take my job and responsibilities very seriously.”
Gallahan is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my mother and father for their continuous love and support,” Gallahan said. “I would not be the person I am today without them. Having people that care about you and that are in your corner makes this job that much more important. No one can imagine the impact a care package or a letter from a loved one means when you're deployed for nine months in the Red Sea.”