Fallon Sailor Supports U.S. Navy Fighter Jet Mission

by Ensign Andrew Hanchar, Navy Office of Community Outreach

FALLON, Nev. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 2nd Class Alaura O’Brien, this story has ties to Fallon, Nevada, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy.

“During my four years of high school, I was in the Junior ROTC program. It prepared me for the Navy by teaching me the lingo, ranks, rates and helped advance me from an E1 to E3,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien graduated from Churchill County High School in 2021.

O’Brien joined the Navy four years ago.

“I joined the Navy to prepare myself for adulthood and to start my career off on the right foot,” O’Brien said. The Navy has amazing benefits and helps teach young adults coping skills during stressful situations and how to have a good work ethic.”

Today, O’Brien serves as a culinary specialist assigned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon.

The air station provides joint and allied nation rotational forces the unique opportunity to train in realistic combat scenarios while employing every element of an air carrier wing. It is the only facility in the world with this ability. The aircraft stationed at NAS Fallon support aircraft carrier missions around the world.

NAS Fallon is host to 21 tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC). As the Navy’s premier tactical air warfare training center, NAWDC is home to multiple weapons training schools, including TOPGUN. In 1969, TOPGUN was introduced with the mission of reducing casualties of naval aviators sustained during the Vietnam War. Within a year, this goal was reached with the United States having one casualty for every 12 enemy deaths. Since then, TOPGUN has continued to train the finest naval aviators and has inspired two blockbuster movies, one released in 1986 and its sequel released in 2022.

Carrier strike groups and the embarked aviation squadrons are the cornerstone of U.S. naval power projection and sea power. They can quickly maneuver thousands of miles with the world’s most capable warships and top-notch sailors, remaining on station in areas of interest without relying on land bases or overflight agreements. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are the most adaptable, lethal, and survivable airfields in the world and their presence serves as the most credible commitment to our allies and partners.

Naval aviation provides the Navy and our nation with a flexible, adaptable and lethal force to preserve peace, respond in crises and win decisively in combat. The U.S. Navy maintains and operates more than 2,000 aircraft to fulfill various mission sets in order to preserve the American way of life and ensure freedom, security and prosperity.

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.

O’Brien has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am very proud to have advanced to the rank of petty officer 2nd class so early in my career,” O’Brien said. “I grew up with a passion to cook and was fortunate to have more knowledge than the average sailor due to taking cooking classes throughout high school.”

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

This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity. More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/

“Serving in the Navy means protecting the people I love,” O’Brien said. “We as Americans get to have a lot more freedom and rights than a lot of people around the world and it is important to me to defend those rights and freedoms.”

O’Brien is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my whole family for being my support system no matter where the Navy sends me,” O’Brien said. “Having a family back home makes this job that much more important and gets you through the hard days.”

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