Your Legacy

By LT Alden “CaSPR” Marton, USN, National JO President

Typical scuttlebutt revolves around our growing pains without deference to the amazing work currently being done to increase the scope and influence of the U.S. Navy. Let’s all take a pause to recognize the talent in which we find ourselves. All of us can be pioneers of our platform. Every time you strap into a gray war machine, fire up the APU, and cut through the skies you are searching for perfection in flight. If that means seeking perfection in execution, you’re pioneering excellence. If your goal is to attempt something new (within limits of course!), you’re pioneering innovation. If your goal is operational success, you’re making history. Given the right amount of opportunity combined with the passion for flight, we all have the ability to make waves through generations of pilots and aircrew. A few of our peers have done just that and have been able to make a lasting impact on the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE). Take a reflective moment to ask yourself “am I making my own legacy?”

If you get the opportunity to take a job that “hasn’t been done before,” take it. See how far you can run with it. See what you can create. Pilot and aircrew tactics are being developed for emerging platforms in the V-22, TH-73, MQ-8, etc. Squadrons are being stood up as we speak. One day, 50 years from now your name might not be plastered against the walls (except at the OClubs!), but what you develop today will save aircraft and save lives. It will become part of the community’s bedrock and THAT is our legacy.

If you don’t know where to begin your own journey, use NHA Symposium to find those opportunities. You’ll get face-to-face time with legends from the Vietnam War and the Navy’s rich cultural history. You’ll have a chance to hear from Naval leadership about the state of the NAE, from titans of industry on the forefront of technology, and your peers. Focus on those candid discussions. Can you identify soft spots in our capabilities? Is there something that needs to be done better? With a little bit of proactivity and a little bit of timing, you can be the one to turn that weakness into a strength and start solidifying your own legacy. It starts by getting the right people in the room and having open discussions, and that’s what this Symposium aims to do.

The 2023 NHA Symposium: Forging Legacy – Legends Past and Present is now open for registration. Can’t wait to see you all there at Harrah’s Casino in May!

Fly Navy! CaSPR