TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — One of the top ranked Admirals in the Navy came to Tucson Tuesday to highlight recruitment efforts —and Raytheon’s role in equipping the Navy. Admiral Daryl Caudle spoke to University of Arizona students working to become Navy and Marine officers.
Who will lead our military? Some will come from the ROTC units at the University of Arizona but the military is not getting enough new people to sign up. That’s why a four-star Admiral came to UA to talk to Midshipmen about a long term career in the Navy.
Admiral Daryl Caudlekeeps pretty busy. He oversees the Atlantic Fleet, the Navy’s missile subs, and the Navy’s share of North America’s defense but he made time to speak to students training to become Navy and Marine officers.
He talked about the Navy’s role facing down threats in a dangerous world and how once on active duty they can grow as young leaders in our national defense. The midshipmen have already committed but the Navy’s committed even its most senior leaders to urging more young people to find a life in the service.
The Admiral says, “Well, I think it's important for them to understand what it means to be in an organization like the Navy, to serve their country to wear the cloth of the nation, the work of the highest end people in the world, to be able to go all over the world and do the things that we do and has a thing that no civilian company could ever match.”
After six years as an enlisted sailor, Petty Officer 2nd Class Marcelina Castel De Oro already knows Navy life. Now she’s training to become an officer through the Navy’s Seaman to Admiral program.
KGUN reporter Craig Smith asked: “It can be a rough life. There could be sacrifices, time away from home, all of that. How do you cope with that? And you've already experienced some of that, right?
Castel De Oro: “Yes, I have. Now I have a son. So my son is two and it's hard but it's definitely worth it and it's really rewarding to know that. He's going to see his mom doing something that not a lot of people want to do.”
Mark He says becoming an officer in the Marines is something he’s always wanted to do. He says hearing Admiral Caudle helped show how the military can be a place for extraordinary people.
“You can see from how he explains his own theories. How he really rose to that rank because it definitely takes intellect different than most other people to reach that rank I think. It's very impressive.”
After talking with the students, Admiral Caudle saw some of UA’s advanced research facilities, then moved on to Raytheon to thank workers there for their work building much of the Navy’s sophisticated weapons and sensors.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
