Most Americans rely on weather forecasts to plan their daily routine. The U.S. Navy is no different. With numerous ships, submarines and airplanes deployed around the world, sailors and civilians serving with the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, advise Navy leaders about the impact of ocean and atmospheric conditions on future operations.
Lt. j.g. Lucas Lindholm, a 2011 T. F. Riggs High School graduate and native of Pierre, South Dakota, is one of those responsible for providing timely, comprehensive and tactically relevant information for ships, submarines, aircraft and other commands operating throughout the globe.
As a Navy meteorology and oceanography officer, Lindholm is responsible for working with planning and operations departments to ensure the teams have the resources to deploy and operate effectively.
Lindholm credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Pierre.
“I come from a small town where neighbors go out of their way to support each other,” said Lindholm. “The Navy is really no different. I support my Navy family just as I would my hometown family.”
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Naval Oceanography defines and applies the physical environment for the entire Navy fleet from the bottom of the ocean to the stars,” said Rear Adm. John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “There isn’t a plane that flies, a ship or a submarine that gets underway without the sailors and civilians of Naval Oceanography.”
Lindholm is playing an important part in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways to earn distinction in a command, community and career, Lindholm is most proud of representing naval oceanography on the international stage as part of an exercise.
“We went to BALTOPS 19 and produced a tactical division aid to amphibious planners that led to a successful landing,” said Lindholm.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Lindholm and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy is one of the best ways to develop yourself as a leader while fulfilling your own personal obligation to public service,” added Lindholm.
Photo credit: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Heidi Cheek.
