Geneva Native Supports Next Generation Of Naval Aviation Warfighters

By Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachery Duerdoth, a native of Geneva, Illinois, is serving in the U.S. Navy assigned to Naval Air Station Meridian, where naval aviators learn the skills they need to fly missions around the world.

Duerdoth, a 2014 graduate of Geneva Community High School, joined the Navy seven years ago.

“I joined the Navy primarily to work in naval aviation and to travel the world, but also to help myself become a better person,” said Duerdoth. “I’ve always been interested in military service. My grandfather served in the Air Force and I have two cousins who served in the Marine Corps. I started looking into the Marine Corps, but that didn’t work out. I called the Navy recruiting office and they told me they would see what they could do, and here we are.”

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Geneva.

“I have always known from a young age that being respectful and compassionate to others is how a person should be, plus I have a natural knack for helping others,” said Duerdoth. “Personally, I am good at connecting with people when something happens in their lives, whether it’s good or bad. I am able to find a way to connect their current situation to something I’ve personally been through or that someone else has been through to offer the best advice I can.”

Today, Duerdoth serves as an aviation boatswain’s mate (equipment) with the Air Operations Department supporting training squadrons on board NAS Meridian, located at Meridian, Mississippi.

“The best part of serving in the aviation community is being around all the aircraft,” said Duerdoth. “There’s a certain rush of great pride in a way, specifically in what I do. Launching aircraft off a catapult and seeing aircraft launch from 0 to 160 knots in like three seconds is a rush. We were in the Arabian Gulf on my first tour. Seeing an aircraft loaded with bombs and missiles launch off the ship and having it come back with less than what it left with, you know you helped Marines and soldiers on the ground. They called for air support and they got it.”

The primary mission of the aviation squadrons at NAS Meridian is to train future naval aviators to fly as well as instill leadership and officer values. Students must complete many phases of flight training in order to graduate, including aviation preflight indoctrination, primary flight training and advanced flight training. 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 and the F-35 Lightning strike fighter jet. These aircraft take off from and land on Navy aircraft carriers at sea.

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.

Serving in the Navy means Duerdoth is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy’s importance to national defense is super unique,” said Duerdoth. “We have the capability to be actively present anywhere and everywhere in the world, 24/7. We also have the ability to conduct any sort of mission that is required of us at a moment’s notice.”

Duerdoth has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“In November 2022, the Navy Region Southeast arresting gear manager wanted a demonstration of one of our landing aids and I volunteered to show him,” said Duerdoth. “I was given a lot of praise from my Chain of Command afterward for how good of a job I did. I was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for that interaction and to this day the arresting gear manager still talks about it to others around the entire Navy. It’s a cool feeling knowing that he still brings it up almost everywhere he goes.”

As Duerdoth and other sailors continue to perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“To me, serving in the Navy means knowing I am part of something bigger than myself while being able to protect my friends and family along with the rest of the United States,” said Duerdoth.

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

“I would like to thank my parents, Steven and Kristen Duerdoth, for their undying support when I decided to join the Navy and for the continuous support they have given me over the last seven years,” said Duerdoth.

Duerdoth had advice for those who may be considering a career in the Navy.

“For anyone who is curious about joining the Navy and wants more information, I highly recommend visiting the closest recruiting center to talk to a recruiter,” added Duerdoth. “The Navy has a lot to offer in terms of benefits. One of the biggest benefits is Navy Tuition Assistance, which I am currently taking advantage of to pay for my electrical engineering degree.”