Sailing into adventure

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NEWPORT, R.I. – Lt. j.g. Kaitlin Wallis, a native of Sandpoint, Idaho, joined the Navy as a path to a future career.

“I wanted to work for the FBI,” said Wallis. “The FBI told me that I needed more experience and the Navy appeared to be a good way to get it. Since joining however, I plan to stay in the Navy for a while. I’ve always said ‘I want to do what I love until I stop loving doing it.’ Right now, I really love what I’m doing with the Navy.”

Now, two and a half years later, Wallis is part of the most innovative tactics at Surface Warfare Officers School, located in Newport, Rhode Island.

“I really love how SWOS brings us back to the base of who we are as surface warfare officers,” said Wallis. “We leave with a definition of what a surface warfare officers is supposed to be and we can carry that knowledge with us and use it to teach future sailors.”

According to Wallis, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Sandpoint.

“My hometown taught me to be adventurous,” said Wallis. “There's a lot of outdoor activities and things to explore in Sandpoint. Being adventurous is something you really need in the Navy because the Navy is full of new experiences, places and people. Sailors have to be open to those challenges.”

Wallis, a 2013 graduate of Sandpoint High School, is at the school where naval officers learn to serve as surface warfare officers.

“We're responsible for keeping everyone on our ship safe while executing the mission,” said Wallis.

The mission of SWOS is to ready sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants to fulfill the Navy's mission maintaining global maritime superiority.

Once service members finish training they are deployed around the world putting their skill set to work aboard Navy ships, such as aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, amphibious warfare ships, mine warfare ships and littoral combat ships.

Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), led by Rear Adm. Peter Garvin, is the U.S. Navy’s Force Development pillar and largest shore command. Through its “Street to Fleet” focus, NETC recruits civilians and transforms them into skilled warfighters ready to meet the current and future needs of the U.S. Navy.

Serving as a surface warrior requires a combination of dedication and sacrifice, but Wallis believes the accomplishments achieved along the way make the hard work worth it.

“I am most proud of all of my qualifications; learning the engineering plan, learning navigation, learning combat and how my ship integrates into the combat world,” said Wallis.

According to the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, during the early days of the Surface Navy, wooden frigates, propelled by sails, would fire cannon balls at enemy ships in an attempt to either sink or capture the ships on the open seas, while modern surface warfare conducts a wide variety of missions—from multiple ship classes—including aviation, damage control and seamanship.

Surface warriors are the backbone of America’s Navy and the most capable surface force in the world, explains the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: “The United States Navy is known for a colorful and illustrious history with opportunities in numerous warfare communities. But since its inception, the Navy has been known for fighting on the high-seas, and surface warfare remains our heart and soul.”

The future of surface warfare is rapidly changing, according to Navy officials, so the course and materials at Surface Warfare Officer School are constantly evolving to create the most dynamic, lethal, safe and professional warfighting team for the Navy the nation needs.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities and capacity.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”

As Wallis and other surface warriors continue to train, they take pride serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving in the Navy means that I have a purpose in my life,” added Wallis. “There's a greater cause. I'm not only serving my country, but my shipmates. It also means contributing to national security, which is the most important thing for keeping our nation safe.”

Stephanie Fox is with the U.S. Navy Office of Community Outreach.