Rogers native serves alongside next generation of Naval Aviation Warfighters

First Lieutenant Andrew Piehl, a native of Rogers, is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps alongside the U.S. Navy assigned to Training Squadron (VT) 35 where naval aviators learn the skills they need to fly missions around the world.

Piehl, a 2016 graduate of Rogers High School, joined the Marine Corps four years ago. Piehl also earned a bachelor’s degree in cyber security from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2020.

“I originally wanted to join as an enlisted man in the Marine Corps, but when I learned about the U.S. Naval Academy I knew it was what I wanted. It was a unique opportunity to fly,” Piehl said.

Skills and values learned in the Marine are similar to those that Piehl learned while in Rogers.

“Coming from a wrestling background, I learned about hard work and discipline from an early age,” Piehl said. “I also learned to find your opportunities and dictate your own path. Don’t let the car steer you.”

Today, Piehl serves as a student pilot assigned to VT 35, a U.S. Navy advanced flight training squadron located at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

“I like the people in the naval aviation community. We are well-rounded, intelligent people who look out for each other. There is no such thing as a bad day in naval aviation,” Piehl said.

The aviation squadron’s primary mission is to train future naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values. After successfully completing the rigorous program, naval aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”

After graduation, pilots continue their training to learn how to fly a specific aircraft, these aircraft take off from and land on Navy aircraft carriers at sea.

Navy aircraft carriers are designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack fighter jets, helicopters, and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea. With more than 5,000 sailors serving aboard, the aircraft carrier is a self-contained mobile airport.

Aircraft carriers are often the first response to a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans.

“Serving in the Marine Corps is about upholding a great tradition,” Piehl said. “The greatest thing we do is serve others who are in a crisis situation. When we can positively impact their lives, there is no greater feeling.”

This article is written by Navy Office of Community Outreach Senior Mass Communication Specialist John Osborne