Volunteering for a regional food bank and a youth robotics competition were among the efforts that recently earned Fire Controlman (Aegis) 1st Class Jason Kilpatrick an honor from a local business association.
The seasoned sailor with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) received the recognition from the West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA) during its 28th Annual Military Appreciation Dinner, held Jan. 23 at the Holiday Inn Oxnard North in Oxnard, California.
“As a Hampton Roads (Virginia) sailor, I am repeatedly awestruck at the warm welcome I have received in the Ventura County area,” Kilpatrick said.
At NSWC PHD in Port Hueneme, California, Kilpatrick serves as a department lead petty officer, fulfilling in-service engineering duties that include shipboard assessments, technical reviews and fleet training. He also leads and assists 10 sailors in their duties to ensure the Navy fleet is at peak operability and readiness.
Kilpatrick’s community contributions were in the spotlight during the WVCBA dinner as Susan Andrzejewski, interim president of California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, presented his award.
For example, Andrzejewski cited Kilpatrick’s volunteer work with Food Share of Ventura County in Oxnard, where he has helped provide no-cost food to more than 1,500 families per event.
“The part I am most proud of is reaching out to the command and getting other sailors to volunteer at the Food Share as well,” Kilpatrick said.
Last year, he guided traffic and supported student competitors at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics regional competitions, held in March at NSWC PHD’s Fathomwerx Lab in the Port of Hueneme. He also devotes personal time to improving the cleanliness of local streets.
Kilpatrick said that his favorite volunteer efforts focus on helping those who are less fortunate and showing that the U.S. military is here to give to the community.
NSWC PHD’s nomination of Kilpatrick for the WVCBA award lauded him as a role model in the community who exemplifies the Navy’s core values of honor, commitment and courage.
During the Military Appreciation Dinner, WVCBA also recognized outstanding active-duty personnel from several other local commands, including Naval Construction Group One, Underwater Construction Team Two, the Air Force’s 346th Training Squadron, the Air National Guard’s 146th Security Forces Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Air Station Ventura.
Kilpatrick, a native of Gurnee, Illinois, enlisted in the Navy in 2007 and trained to become an Aegis computer networking technician. Prior to reporting to NSWC PHD in 2024, his duty stations included Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) and the destroyer-like facility U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System Poland in Redzikowo.
In addition to the WVCBA award, Kilpatrick recently earned another honor: NSWC PHD’s 2025 Senior Sailor of the Year.