LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 2nd Class Morgan Hodges, this story has ties to Spring, Texas, 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’ve always tried to bring joy to others because life is too rough to do it by yourself,” Hodges said. “Keeping that mindset has made me a lot of friends in the Navy. Just yesterday, someone said they recognized me from my 2023 deployment aboard USS Nimitz because I smiled through the whole deployment. Just bringing the bubbly and joy to some serious situations has helped me and others get through them.”
Hodges attended Klein High School and earned a GED diploma in 2018.
Hodges joined the Navy seven years ago.
“I always knew that I wanted to join the Navy,” Hodges said. “My grandfather was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, and I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps while making my own path. He was an aircraft mechanic, which is what also drove me to aviation.”
Today, Hodges serves as an aviation electrician’s mate and is an instructor at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Lemoore 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.
Hodges has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m proud of meeting a three-star admiral,” Hodges said. “I was picked by the captain of the air group over my command on my deployment to meet the admiral because I was really good at what I did, and I had a good attitude. I was a little confused at first because it was weird to be recognized for just doing my job, but I felt proud of myself. To me, it was a huge thing, because they looked at hundreds of people, thousands of people, and picked me.”
Hodges 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/
“I think serving in the Navy has allowed me to grow into the person I am today and made me realize there’s a lot of life out there I wouldn’t know about if I had stayed in my hometown,” Hodges said. “It makes my family proud to know I’m out here working to get aircraft in the air and working with good people, and also helping others grow into the people that they want to become.”
Hodges is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents for supporting me in my decisions,” Hodges said. “I didn’t tell them I joined the Navy until I signed the contract. They were a little shocked, but I’d talked about it my whole life, so they knew it was coming. They were very proud.”