Navy

U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samuel Osborn

Chattanooga Navy officer recruiter was awarded Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate recruiter of the year by Rear Adm. James Waters, Dec. 12.

Lt. Cmdr. Josua Rogers, from North Dakota, and a recruiter at Navy Officer Recruiting Station Chattanooga, Tennessee, lead the country in Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidates recruited during fiscal year 2025.

“Earning this award is both an honor and a motivator,” said Rogers. “It’s a reminder that the standard has been set high, and it’s a license to continue pushing for even greater success. Most importantly, it reinforces the impact of the mission and inspires me to keep improving, innovating, and delivering for the program and the Navy.”

Rogers is focused on the high impact that nuclear officers have within the Navy.

“These roles demand exceptionally high-achieving applicants with strong technical aptitude,” Rogers said. “The same individuals who are often heavily recruited and can thrive in competitive civilian careers. Bringing this caliber of talent into the Navy is essential to maintaining the readiness, safety, and technological edge of the nuclear program. Ensuring we find, inspire, and secure these candidates directly impacts the strength and future of the fleet.”

Rogers credits his success to his personal experience and his ability to relate to his applicants.

“I believe I’m successful in this position because, as a nuclear officer, I speak the same technical language as the applicants and have personally navigated the academic and professional challenges they’re preparing to face,” said Rogers. “That shared experience allows me to relate to them, mentor them effectively, and communicate the realities and rewards of the nuclear community with credibility.”

Rogers says his philosophy encourages him to continue to grow and learn throughout his time in recruiting.

“My personal philosophy is rooted in adaptability, teamwork, and personal ownership. I believe in being unafraid to try new approaches and continuously improving the way we connect with candidates. I also recognize that mission success is never achieved alone—it takes a coordinated, supportive team to bring the best talent into the program. Above all, I focus on driving my own success by staying proactive, accountable, and committed to delivering the highest-quality candidates to the Navy.

The recruiter of the year award program recognizes the nation’s top Navy recruiters for their talent acquisition expertise, positive impact on local communities, and upholding the highest Navy values. Rogers’ specific field of recruiting searches for and educates individuals on the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, which is a collegiate program for students interested in engineering to join the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Nuclear Propulsion Program while enrolled in a full-time college degree program. While in school, those in the NUPOC program will receive a full-time paid salary in order to focus on their education while reducing concerns of financial obligations.

Navy Officer Recruiting Station Chattanooga falls under Navy Talent Acquisition Group Nashville, which spans 138,000 square miles and includes 36 Navy recruiting stations across Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia. The command consists of more than 200 recruiters, support staff, and civilians working together to find the next generation of Sailors for America’s Navy.

For more information contact your local recruiter by calling 1-800-284-NAVY, visit www.navy.com, https://www.cnrc.navy.mil/Nashville/ or follow us at http://www.facebook.com/navyjobsnashvillemusiccity, www.instagram.com/ntagnashvilleusn, https://x.com/@NTAGNashville and https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntag-nashville

CALIFORNIA — In support of Exercise Steel Knight 25, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing partnered with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to conduct a joint, simulated maritime strike Dec. 10, 2025, demonstrating the Marine Corps’ ability to project aviation power across the contested maritime domain. Steel Knight is an annual exercise that strengthens the Navy–Marine Corps team’s ability to respond forward, integrate across domains and sustain Marine Air-Ground Task Force readiness.

The MARSTRIKE brought together fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft, joint aviation assets and contracted simulated adversary forces to rehearse long-range detection, targeting, and simulated engagement of maritime threats. U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers, HH-60 search-and-rescue aircraft, B-1 and B-52 bombers and fighter support aircraft enabled the strike alongside contracted “red air” replicating realistic adversary actions. The event required robust command and control across dispersed nodes, validating the joint force’s ability to operate as a cohesive strike team.

To manage aviation operations spread across California and adjacent maritime spaces, 3rd MAW employed an evolving hub-spoke-node framework designed to enable distributed aviation operations. The hub provides centralized command, control and sustainment, while spokes extend communications and logistics forward. Nodes operate at the tactical edge for limited durations, allowing aviation units to refuel, rearm and maneuver before displacing, within 72-96 hours, to avoid detection. This approach enables Marine aviation to generate combat power from austere locations while maintaining survivability in a contested maritime environment.

“The maritime domain is one of the most challenging battlespaces we face,” said Col. Llonie Cobb, Chief of Staff, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “Gone are the days when we operated from predictable locations with static logistics chains. Today we have to be ready to fight from anywhere, and 3rd MAW, partnered with our joint forces, is proving we can.”

With the architecture in place, F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, launched from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, identified as the Hub for Steel Knight 25, and F-35C Lightning II aircraft with VMFA-311 and F/A-18C Hornets with VMFA-323, MAG-11, departed from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, one of the spokes, to join the fight. The aircraft integrated with joint partners for air-to-air refueling, targeting and fires coordination, and arming and refueling at the dispersed forward operating nodes.

A key element of the evolution was a node established at Mather airfield in Sacramento, California, and its role as a forward arming and refueling node, allowing Marine fixed-wing aircraft to extend their reach, regenerate combat power and remain engaged over long distances. This marked the first time 3rd MAW established and sustained a node at a distance equal to that of Mather from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, approximately 400 nautical miles, demonstrating the wing’s ability to maneuver aviation assets well beyond traditional support ranges.

“Forward arming and refueling at Mather showed that we can extend the reach of Marine aviation across California and into the maritime fight,” said Col. Jarrod DeVore, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “This is exactly the type of distributed sustainment required for modern conflict.”

This level of coordination enabled Marines and joint partners to fight simulated maritime threats in an end-to-end demonstration of closing kill webs across distributed aviation assets. Closing kill webs refers to the ability to rapidly sense, track, target, engage and assess threats across multiple domains using a network of integrated platforms. In practice, dispersed aircraft share data in real time, coordinate fires and seamlessly pass targets as they maneuver, compressing decision timelines, increasing lethality, and allowing the joint force to strike at speed and depth.

The strike also showcased seamless integration between fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft, illustrating how F-35s and legacy Hornets combine survivability, sensor fusion and maneuver to complicate an adversary’s targeting while maintaining persistent pressure across the battlespace.

Naval and joint force integration remained central to the mission, with Marine aviators working alongside Navy and Air Force command-and-control elements and maritime intelligence to synchronize fires and maintain situational awareness across the operating area.

“Steel Knight gives us the chance to rehearse the hardest problems: long-range fires, maritime targeting, and distributed aviation operations with the joint force,” DeVore said. “These are exactly the challenges we expect in future conflict against a near-peer adversary.”

Following the MARSTRIKE, 3rd MAW aircraft executed a series of defensive counterair and offensive counterair missions, reinforcing maritime security and enabling follow-on maneuver by the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and joint partners. The missions demonstrated the wing’s ability to sustain combat aviation operations across multiple distributed sites while supporting I Marine Expeditionary Force objectives.

“The MARSTRIKE affirmed that 3rd MAW is ready to support the joint force in a future fight, integrating with Navy and Air Force partners, generating combat power from distributed nodes, and delivering lethal aviation fires across the maritime battlespace,” DeVore said.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Joel Barnes was named the 2025 Military Citizen of the Year for Hampton Roads, an honor presented to service members or veterans who demonstrate exceptional community involvement and selfless service beyond their military duties.

For more than 70 years, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce has recognized military members whose dedication and volunteer contributions have had a lasting impact on the Hampton Roads, Virginia region through the Samuel T. Northern Military Citizen of the Year Award.

“It was a surprise and an honor to receive the Military Citizen of the Year for Hampton Roads,” said Barnes. “I give credit to my leadership and fellow staff at the detachment. Without their support and encouragement, I would not have received the award.”

Barnes currently serves as an instructor for the Navy’s Advanced Radiographer Program, located at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and overseen by Navy Medicine Training Support Command’s (NMTSC) Portsmouth training detachment.

“I was more than happy to nominate HM1 [hospital corpsman 1st class] Barnes to be recognized and to see him be selected as the Military Citizen of the Year,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Thomas Van Ingen, senior enlisted leader for NMTSC’s Portsmouth and Camp Lejeune detachments. “He consistently demonstrates superior leadership, competence, and resourcefulness, performing his duties, while also dedicating his off-duty time to help others.”

In addition to his volunteer accomplishments, Barnes is known for his dedication to strengthening the Navy’s radiography community through rigorous instruction and professional mentorship, a commitment that reflects the same work ethic recognized by the Hampton Roads Chamber.

“I have been fortunate enough to see the Navy’s Advanced Radiographer Program in its entirety having been a Phase I instructor prior to becoming a Phase II instructor,” said Barnes. “Having experienced the program as both a student and instructor, I see where improvements need to be made. As instructors, both myself and HM1 Elijah Marshall, prioritize challenging our students’ knowledge and emphasize the importance of knowing every part of your job.”

When asked what influenced his decision to join the Navy, he said his desire to serve his country, further his education, and provide for his growing family.

“It has been a blessing to serve the past 14 years, and the Navy has provided me with an abundance of opportunities to advance my education, grow as a leader, and appreciate the value of teamwork,” said Barnes. “I have always had an interest in the medical field and enjoy helping others. When I first went to the recruiter, I wanted to be an X-ray tech, and I was fortunate enough to attend Advanced Radiographer school following corps [hospital corpsman “A”] school.”

Barnes also said he finds motivation in knowing his work in radiology directly supports patient care and allows him to foster excellence in future Navy radiographers.

“Radiology plays an intricate role in diagnosing patients, ensuring they receive the proper treatment plan,” said Barnes. “I am motivated to cultivate my love for the radiology field in my students by challenging them to be the subject matter expert and fostering a deep sense of pride in the profession.”

NMTSC is the Navy component command providing administrative and operational control over Navy staff and students assigned to the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) and other medical programs in the San Antonio area.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the U.S. Navy, conducted a bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Dec. 9-10, 2025.

MCAs are conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety, navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.

This MCA continues to build on interoperability between the AFP and U.S. Navy through maneuver exercises, communications checks, and shared maritime domain awareness.

Participating units included U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 45, Philippine Air Force FA-50 light combat aircrafts and A-29B light attack aircrafts, and Philippine Navy Jose Rizal-class guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF 150).

The U.S., along with our allies and partners, upholds the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law.

U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.