Ensign Cade Hermeling. Photo by Anna-Liesa Hussey/ Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class

By RICK BURKE
Navy Office of Community Outreach

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Ensign Cade Hermeling, a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is serving in the U.S. Navy where naval aviators learn the skills they need to fly missions around the world.

Hermeling, a 2015 graduate of Santa Fe High School, joined the Navy a year and a half ago. Hermeling also earned a bachelor’s degree in Russian language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019.

“I joined the Navy because ever since I was a child, I was captivated by naval aviation and their mission,” Hermeling said. “I knew there was no cooler job in the world and that I would do anything for a shot at it.”

Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Santa Fe.

“Growing up, I learned the value of home and community,” Hermeling said. “I also learned that home still exists when you leave, and it will always be there to come back to after your adventure.”

Today, Hermeling serves as a student pilot assigned to Training Air Wing Four (TRAWING 4) located at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. TRAWING 4 comprises four training squadrons that conduct Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced flight training for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots.

“I enjoy the close-knit camaraderie and community amongst my fellow students,” Hermeling said. “We all share a lot in common and have become exceptionally close in a relatively short time.”

The air training program focuses on the increased complexity of today’s aircraft. After successfully completing the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”

After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how to fly a specific aircraft, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter attack jet, the F-35 Lightning strike fighter jet or the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. These aircraft take off from and land on Navy aircraft carriers at sea.

Navy aircraft carriers are designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. With more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard, the aircraft carrier is a self-contained mobile airport.

Aircraft carriers are often the first response to a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans.

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.

Hermeling serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Hermeling has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am most proud of graduating from Officer Candidate School,” Hermeling said. “It was an exceptionally challenging program both physically and mentally. Most mornings, I would question if I belonged there, and I’m so glad I stuck with it.”

Hermeling can take pride in serving America through military service.

“The Navy is quintessential for maintaining international peace and national security,” Hermeling said. “Its impact as a force for freedom and democracy is unparalleled, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

Hermeling is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I’d like to thank my father, Mark Hermeling, for introducing me to the world of aviation as a professional civilian aircraft mechanic and pilot,” Hermeling said. “Without his support and encouragement and constant reassurance that with hard work I could accomplish anything in this life, I would not be the man I am today.”