Airman Benjamin Harrison Heads to Japan Fighter Squadron
Navy Airman Benjamin Harrison, a May graduate of Wellington High School, will join Strike Fighter Squadron 195 in Iwakuni, Japan, after technical and career training in Pensacola. He credits school band for his teamwork ethic and his grandparents' service for his path.
Navy Airman Benjamin Harrison, a May graduate of Wellington High School, will report to Iwakuni, Japan, after training this winter, where a local airman supports fighter jet operations with Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195.
He is finishing technical training in Pensacola. Career training follows in December.
The squadron, known as the "Dambusters," flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet as part of the forward deployed naval forces in the Pacific. Harrison will serve in a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock.
From school band to boot camp
Harrison played in the band at Palm Beach Central High School and then at Wellington High School. He spent his first two years at Palm Beach Central before finishing his last two at Wellington.
After graduating in May, he reported to boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. In Pensacola he is learning aviation theory and engine maintenance. He expects to finish that school in November.
"Through my time in middle and high school band, I learned that everyone has to do their part for the group to succeed," Harrison said. He said the same holds for Navy commands, including his squadron.
"If one member fails at their job, it hinders all others," he said. He added that people may not always get along, "so long as the mission can be successfully completed."
Why he enlisted
Harrison said he joined the Navy for several reasons. Both of his grandparents served in the military. One was a U.S. Army paratrooper during the Vietnam War, and the other served during World War II.
He also wanted the military to pay for his education and to earn qualifications in aviation. Travel was another draw. "The Navy offers great travel opportunities," he said.
"I know through a career in the Navy, I can be the man I've always wanted to be," Harrison said. He said serving also lets him know that the people he cares about are safe.
He thanked his father and stepmother for their support. "I don't know where I would be without them," he said. He also sent a shoutout to his cousins, brothers and sisters, and to his high school bandmates.
"I'll always be a proud former member of the Mighty Wolverine Sound and of the Bronco Band," he said.
