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NEIGHBORS
Phoenix native serving at Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer School
Mountain Pointe High School grad in his fifth year of service
(Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Patricia Elkins)
Posted
By Megan Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Oetinger, a native of Phoenix, serves at Aviation Rescue Swimmer School.
Oetinger graduated from Mountain Pointe High School, in the Tempe Union High School District, in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Phoenix.
“I worked as a lifeguard in my hometown and that taught me to have a strong work ethic and to be the best I can be,” Oetinger said. “In the Navy, it is important to have a strong work ethic because of the challenges we face. Teamwork is also important so everything can run as efficiently as possible.”
Oetinger joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Oetinger serves as a hospital corpsman.
“I joined the military for the training, experience and the community the Navy offers,” he said.
Aviation Rescue Swimmer School provides initial aviation water survival training and CPR qualification to all preflight student naval aviators and student naval flight officers, student flight surgeons, naval aircrew candidates, student aviators from other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and international student aviators. Aviation rescue swimmers serve in treacherous conditions to complete life-saving missions like evacuating families during a storm, rescuing a crew off of a ship in the Pacific Coast, or saving mountain climbers.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
Oetinger has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I am most proud of working on a COVID response team aboard Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego, where I was able to keep Marine recruits safe and healthy,” Oetinger said. “I am proud of that because it was a specialized task force to keep thousands of Marine resources safe and to help contribute to the operations of Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego.”
Oetinger is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my dad, Stephan, for pushing me in the right direction and for giving me the drive that I need to succeed,” he added.
