Townsquare Media and the Jay & Linda Grunin Foundation are teaming up to salute our local heroes with our Warrior of the Week program.

Congratulations to Barnegat's Ethan Carrodus, our Warrior of the Week for the week of February 25th, 2019.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Most Americans rely on weather forecasts to plan their daily routine. The U.S. Navy is no different. With numerous ships, submarines and airplanes deployed in the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s area of operations, sailors stationed at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.

Airman Ethan Carrodus, a 2017 Barnegat High School graduate and native of Barneget, New Jersey, has served in the Navy for one year and is one of these sailors serving at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor.

Carrodus credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Barneget.

“I learned hard work growing up on the Jersey Shore,” said Carrodus. “I used to help demo while flipping houses back home, which helped when I was getting qualified here. I was putting in 10 hour days and it was pretty challenging.”

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center Detachment provides aviation weather support for the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and resource protection to ensure safety of flight and operations for Atsugi, Japan; Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa; Commander Fleet

As a Navy aerographer's mate, Carrodus is responsible for forecasting and tracking typhoons in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.

“Naval Oceanography defines and applies the physical environment for the entire Navy fleet from the bottom of the ocean to the stars,” said Rear Adm. John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “There isn't a plane that flies, a ship or a submarine that gets underway without the sailors and civilians of Naval Oceanography.”

The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Carrodus is most proud of earning the Geophysical Technician Qualification.

“It is a specialized job and a very small percentage of people actually get to do it,” said Carrodus. “I help the forcasters in tracking the storms in areas of interest. It's a pretty cool job.”

Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Carrodus is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”

The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies. The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades.

Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Carrodus, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Carrodus is honored to carry on that family tradition.

“My dad and grandpa both served in the Navy. My grandpa was a master chief yeoman,” said Carrodus. “My parents are definitely proud of me continuing the family tradion. I wouldn’t force my future children to serve, but I would definitely be proud of them serving.”

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Carrodus and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“I have a self purpose thing going on right now,” added Carrodus. “Serving in the Navy gives me a purpose and pride in life.”

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian T. Glunt, Navy Office of Community Outreach

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rusty Pang

Congratulations to Ethan Carrodus, our Warrior of the Week.

Do you know a deserving past or present military member? Nominate them now. Every Military Monday, we’ll share one of the nominations and honor that person as our Warrior of the Week.

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