El Centro native serving at Naval Air Weapons Station
El Centro native Julio Hernandez is currently serving at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, known as “Secret City”, a Navy Office of Community Outreach news release on Tuesday stated.
Hernandez is a 2009 Central Union High School graduate. He is currently a mechanical engineer, and is responsible for systems engineering for the Navy.
NAWS China Lake is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles.
The installation is the Navy’s largest single piece of real estate, representing 85 percent of the Navy’s land for Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation use and 38 percent of the Navy’s land holdings worldwide.
In total, its two ranges and main site cover more than 1.1 million acres, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, the news release stated.
“A vast weapons testing and training range operated by the U.S. Navy in California’s Mojave Desert, this location is where military and civilian personnel developed or tested nearly every significant airborne weapon system since 1943,” NAWS China Lake public affairs officer Margo Allen said.
Hernandez plays a key role in supporting the Navy’s research, testing and evaluation of cutting-edge weapons systems for today’s sailors.
“I enjoy seeing the effect my work has on the fleet,” Hernandez said. “Everything we do here has an impact on the mission, and I want to do my best.”
According to Hernandez, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in El Centro.
“I grew up next to a Navy base, and there I learned how important the Navy is to the country,” Hernandez said.
According to the release, Hernandez is most proud of earning his master’s degree in systems engineering from the Navy Post Graduate School in 2018.
“It was unique course work that tied directly into my job,” Hernandez said.
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Hernandez, as well as others at the command, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.
“I am doing a small part to support the big picture of Naval operations,” Hernandez said. “It makes me proud to be a part of that.”
— Vincent Osuna, vosuna@ivpressonline.com