Region commander visits NAS Fallon

Click to Enlarge Kim Lamb • LVN photo Rear Admiral Len Hering awarded members of NAS Fallon's Longhorns Search and Rescue crew with air medals for their valor in rescuing flooded residents in Fernley Jan. 5. Pictured above, from left to right, are Hering, MA3 Terry Hamilton, AW2 Ricky Pierron, AW1 Michael Pilarski, Lt. Brent Hardgrave and Cmdr. Doug Russell. Browse and Buy Nevada Appeal Photos

CHRISTY LATTIN
CHRISTY LATTIN, clattin@lahontanvalleynews.com
March 27, 2008, 4:01 AM

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While the U.S. Navy is targeting the top 10 percent of high school students, a majority of America's youth are ineligible for military service, said Rear Adm. Len Hering, commander of Navy Region Southwest, which stretches across six Western states.

Hering visited NAS Fallon Monday and Tuesday for a tour and to confer awards to a helicopter crew that rescued residents from flooded neighborhoods in Fernley in January.

He also was the guest speaker at the Fallon Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday.

Click to Enlarge Kim Lamb • LVN photo Rear Admiral Len Hering talks about changes that have taken place in the Navy. Browse and Buy Nevada Appeal Photos

Hering told Rotarians the Navy invests about $100,000 of training for each sailor to prepare them for combat activities at sea.

For that reason, the service has identified the top 10 percent of graduating high school seniors as its target recruits.

However, Hering said, 73 to 75 percent of young people are not eligible to serve in the military because of three factors - lack of physical, moral and educational skills.

"Obesity is plaguing our country," Hering said. "It's killing our youth."

Criminal and moral flaws on a person's record could also keep one from serving in the military, Hering said, adding the military should not be considered the alternative to prison for offenders.

"We're a different cut than we were 20 years ago," he said.

Lack of a high-school education is also preventing likely recruits from realizing their full potential. Hering said 41 percent of the minority population in America's five biggest cities do not graduate.

Parents need to realize and encourage their children that the military is a good place to start a career with a plethora of opportunities, Hering said.

"We need to figure out how to do this to maintain our all-volunteer force," he said, adding a majority of students join the military just for the Montgomery G.I. Bill that provides money for education.

A new objective outlined by the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead is to see the U.S. Navy included in Business Week Magazine's list of America's top 50 employers by the end of his four-year stint.

"It should be an achievable goal," Hering saida, adding the Navy is taking a hard look at sailors' quality of life and making improvements where they can. He often takes a hard look at the Navy's facilities and wonders if sailors' mothers would feel their children are being taken care of by the service.

Hering also took the opportunity to award air medals to four members of the NAS Fallon Longhorns Search and Rescue crew who plucked flooded Fernley residents from roofs and cars the morning of Jan. 5.

Air medals awarded for heroism were presented to Cmdr. Doug Russell, Lt. Brent Hardgrave, AW1 Michael Pilarski and AW2 Ricky Pierron. Hering also presented a Letter of Commendation to MA3 Terry Hamilton for his service in the NAS Fallon security detachment, as well as his community service.

Pilarski was also recognized for his assistance in fighting a wildfire near Camp Pendleton, Calif., in October. A SAR helicopter from NAS Fallon helped douse flames as the fire crept close to the Marine Corps base.