PENSACOLA, Fla. — Declan O’Daniel is getting top notch Naval training during a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
The New Palestine native is serving at the Navy’s largest aviation training center as an airman.
O’Daniel serves as an aviation ordnance-man and operates out the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, officials said in a press release.
As an aviation ordnance–man, O’Daniel is responsible for the maintenance, inventory and loading of ordnance onto aircraft, according to a news release.
O’Daniel credits his success in the Navy to lessons learned growing up in New Palestine.
“I learned that hard work pays off, which is really important in the Navy,” O’Daniel said.
He’s training at one of the best known initial primary training bases for all U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers who are pursuing designations as Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers, the release said.
Once service members finish training, they’re deployed around the world putting their skill set to work flying jets from aircraft carriers, submarine-hunting helicopters, serving as aircrew operating sophisticated radar and weapons systems, electronic warfare and more, the release said.
Operating on land, air, or sea, the crews represent the best of operational and training support, officials said in the release.
Pensacola is home to the world-renowned Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron and boast an overall workforce of 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.
“As sailors forged by the sea, we will continue to be the Navy the nation needs,” Maxine Goodridge, captain and commanding officer of the Naval Air Technical Training Center said in the release.
Providing high velocity learning at every level is what they do best for young airman like O’Daniel, the captain said.
The training center provides four major departments; air traffic control, avionics, air training and mechanical training for nearly all enlisted aircraft maintenance and enlisted aircrew specialties, according to the release.
Sailors and Marines who move on to fleet duty arrive prepared and motivated. Their training must continue on the job as they become acclimated to a particular aircraft in a particular squadron, be it a carrier-based F-18 Hornet unit, a land-based P-3C Orion squadron or an SH-60 Seahawk detachment operating from a cruiser, officials said.
The training center was commissioned in 1943 and today is 5,300 strong including students, instructors and support personnel.
The largest part of the student body is comprised of sailors attending their first technical training schools where they learn knowledge and skills required to perform as technicians at the 3rd class petty officer level, similar to a civilian apprentice.
Advanced technical schools provide higher-level technical knowledge for senior petty officers, who serve as front-line supervisors, and in similar roles as civilian journeyman.
The center also conducts technical training for Naval officers, who supervise enlisted personnel.
More than 15,000 Navy and Marine Corps students graduate from NATTC each year illustrating how their existing programs fit into their philosophy of completing the mission with well-trained, well-led and motivated personnel, according to Navy officials.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, O’Daniel and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs, the release said.
“To me being in the Navy is proof that can I achieve something,” O’Daniel said. “It means a whole lot to me.”
