LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Airman Apprentice Gavin Dear, this story has ties to Norman, Oklahoma, 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 played defensive lineman on my football team during high school,” Dear said. “I enjoyed being part of a team, working on a common goal and leading them to success. I had really great coaches that instilled a good work ethic and pride in never giving up. Having a good team and all working together makes the job that much easier and more rewarding.”
Dear graduated from Norman High School in 2025.
Dear joined the Navy one year ago.
“I joined the Navy for the opportunity to follow in my uncle's footsteps, learn about aviation and work on aircrafts,” Dear said. “The Navy is giving me the opportunity to one day become a technical expert on Navy airplanes and serve my country while working with my hands. I can not wait for the chance to work on the F-18 super hornet.”
Today, Dear serves as an aviation machinist'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.
Dear has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of the amazing people I was able to meet and the community I was able to create so early in my career,” Dear said. “I was able to make it through boot camp and am now a thriving sailor out here in the fleet learning new skills every day.”
Dear 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 something bigger than myself for the betterment of not only my family and friends back at home but American citizens I know I will never meet,” Dear said.
Dear is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents for their continued support and helping to raise me to be the man I am today,” Dear said. “Having people that care about you and that are in your corner makes this job that much more important.”