LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 3rd Class Paul Bernard Castro, this story has ties to Mandaluyong City, Phillipines, 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 |
“From a very young age I was taught the skills, importance, value and the honor of an honest day's work,” Castro said. “Having a good work ethic and a stellar reputation goes a long way and has helped me stand out in my command and among my peers.”
Castro graduated from Jose Rizal University in 2005.
Castro joined the Navy two years ago.
“I was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States in 2019,” Castro said. “I wanted to join and defend this great country that has given my family and me so many opportunities as well as a future I could only dream of.”
Today, Castro serves as a logistics specialist assigned to Commander, Joint Strike Fighter Wing 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.
Castro has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am very proud of the fact that I get to wake up every day and say I am a U.S. Navy Sailor,” Castro said. “I am also very proud that my hard work has paid off and I was not only named Sailor of the Quarter for quarter one 2026 but that I earned my advancement as well as several qualifications.”
Castro 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 constantly improving myself as well as growing as part of a team and giving back to my fellow Americans," Castro said. “I am able to give back to a country that has given me so much and hold my head high with pride knowing that I am serving those who need the most help.”
Castro is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my mother, Josephine, and father, Virgilio for always being by my side, giving me direction and making me the man I am today,” Castro said. “I work hard every day to make them proud and serve my county with honor.”