Ensign Jake Santucci, a native of Phoenix, is serving in the U.S. Navy where naval aviators learn the skills they need to fly missions around the world.

Santucci, a 2017 graduate of Brophy College Preparatory High School, joined the Navy two years ago. Santucci also earned a bachelor's degree in history from Montana State University in 2020.

“I joined the Navy for the opportunity to fly and train on the most advanced aircraft with the finest aviators in the world,” Santucci said.

Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Phoenix.

“Growing up with three older brothers teaches you to persevere against the odds with loyalty and courage at all times,” he said.

Today, Santucci serves as a student pilot assigned to Training Air Wing Four (TRAWING 4) located at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. TRAWING 4 comprises four training squadrons that conduct Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced flight training for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots.

“I love the sense of belonging to the naval aviation community and knowing that the future is what I make of it,” Santucci said.

The air training program focuses on the increased complexity of today’s aircraft. 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, such as the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter attack jet, the F-35 Lightning strike fighter jet or the SH-60 Seahawk helicopter. 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.

Santucci is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“Every day of training to be a naval aviator is a blessing and I'd like to thank my parents, my brothers, my grandparents, and the veterans in my life for their unwavering support, letters of recommendation, and sea stories that have inspired me to this day," Santucci added.