Photo By Austen McClain | Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 1st Class Jackson Ward, assigned to Naval Aviation...... read more read more
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Some join the Navy for the benefits. Others join to see the world. For Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 1st Class Jackson Ward, it was about the chance to unlock his full potential and be a part of something greater.
“I joined the Navy because I felt stuck,” Ward said. “College was not working out, and my job in sales was not fulfilling. What drew me to the Navy was the chance to get uncomfortable, to test myself and to find out what I was really made of.”
Ward enlisted in 2016 on an Aviation Rescue Swimmer contract and began an intense pipeline of training under the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). From basic training to the Aviation Rescue Swimmer School, he was immersed in a program that demanded not just physical grit but mental resilience and technical precision.
“The instructors did not just teach us how to survive. They taught us how to think, how to make decisions under pressure and how to be accountable,” Ward said. “Those lessons carried with me long after training ended.”
From Training Grounds to Operational Success
After graduating from the NETC pipeline, Ward was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 2 (HSC-2) for fleet replacement training, then to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 (HSC-22), an expeditionary helicopter squadron. There, he put his training to the test in real-world operations: ranging from NATO exercises with the 6th Fleet to interdiction deployments with the 2nd Fleet.
One mission stands out to him.
During a counter-narcotics deployment in the Caribbean Sea, Ward’s crew was tasked with locating a vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics from South America toward Puerto Rico. After hours of coordinated search with other assets, including a Coast Guard AC-130, they identified the suspect boat—but were forced to return for fuel. By the time they relaunched, the aircraft had lost radar contact.
That is when training kicked in.
“I noticed something in the water, a faint wake,” Ward recalled. “We moved in closer and used forward-looking infrared (FLIR) to get a positive ID without tipping them off.”
The team confirmed the vessel had contraband on board. When it ignored verbal warnings and warning shots, a Coast Guard precision marksman disabled the engines with a .50-cal rifle. The boarding team seized both the crew and the cargo.
“Everything we did that night: teamwork, communication, staying calm under pressure—it was straight out of the training pipeline,” Ward said. “It was not a rescue, but the mindset was the same: solve the problem and bring people home safe.”
Training the Next Generation
Today, Ward serves as a high-risk training instructor and leading petty officer at Aviation Rescue Swimmer School, part of Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC).
His mission is to shape the next generation.
“For most students, the hardest part is not physical; it is mental,” Ward said. “We are teaching them how to believe in themselves. If they show up with the right attitude and the drive, we will get them to the finish line.”
He does not believe in breaking people down just for the sake of it. Instead, his approach is about building them up with accountability, structure and mentorship.
“Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there,” said Ward. “Show up ready to learn. Be humble. That is how you succeed here and in life.”
NETC: Building Warfighters and Protectors
Ward is one of the countless individuals shaped by NETC training, but his story makes one thing clear: world-class training leads to real-world results. From the first day of rescue swimmer school to joint operations with the Coast Guard, he has seen how high standards and hard instruction translate directly to fleet impact.
“The Navy taught me how to lead and how to hold myself accountable,” said Ward. “And that started in training.”
Whether recovering personnel or tracking down smugglers in the Caribbean, Ward’s work shows how NETC plays a critical role in building a ready, capable force that keeps the homeland secure.
NETC recruits and trains those who serve our nation, taking them from “street-to-fleet” by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat-ready warfighters, while providing the tools and opportunities for continuous learning and development.
For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/
| Date Taken: | 08.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2025 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 545330 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 228 |
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This work, From Interdictions to Instruction: AWS1 Ward’s Mission-Ready Career, by Austen McClain, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
NETC Websitehttps://www.netc.navy.mil/
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