NORFOLK, Va. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Hugo Lopez, a native of South Lake Tahoe, California, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Airborne Command and Control Squadron 126 (VAW-126), supporting the E-2D carrier airborne early warning aircraft, known as the Hawkeye.

Lopez attended South Tahoe High School. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in South Lake Tahoe.

“Growing up, I learned the importance of being disciplined,” Lopez said. “I liked being in sports, playing football and basketball. Playing sports helped me learn respect and self-discipline. Something else I carry with me is having pride in what I do and being proud of my accomplishments. No matter what I do, I always keep my head high. If I make a mistake, I just focus on the next time. Learn from your mistakes and do better, that’s what the Navy has shown me. You make mistakes, people correct you, so you know the next time how to do it better.”

Lopez joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Lopez serves as a yeoman.

“I joined the Navy to set an example for my younger brothers to show them there’s more opportunity in the world than they’ve seen,” Lopez said. “I wanted to travel around the world. I’ve already been on one tour with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. I also wanted to break a cycle in my family of not taking the right path. A lot of my family went down the wrong path and made poor decisions. Everyone expected me to be a lot different and to break that cycle.”

Known as the Navy’s “digital quarterback,” the Hawkeye gives the warfighter expanded battlespace awareness. The Hawkeye’s command and control capability makes it a multi-mission platform through its ability to coordinate concurrent missions such as airborne strike, land force support, rescue operations and support for drug interdiction operations. Capable of launching from an aircraft carrier, the Hawkeye sees further and wider, equipping the warfighter for ever-evolving threats as the “eyes of the fleet,” according to Navy officials.

The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.

According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”

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 recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Lopez has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I’m most proud of getting through the deployment on the Eisenhower in 2023,” Lopez said. “It was a rough deployment. It was very stressful and draining, mentally and physically. Coming home to Virginia and seeing my girlfriend was a relief. Seeing my family made me realize how proud of me they actually are.”

Lopez serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“Serving in the Navy gives me a chance to better myself,” Lopez said. “It does mean a lot, honestly, it does. It also means serving an organization bigger than myself.”

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

“I want to thank my family for always supporting me and having my back through my ups and downs,” Lopez added. “I’d like to also thank Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Powe at Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 74. She helped me a lot while we were on deployment. She was always pushing me to be a better person every day, and always giving me advice on how to take situations and how to communicate better with my fellow shipmates. I want to thank my girlfriend for giving me my son and my daughter, and for being another support system through our deployment. It was rough for her because she’s also in the Navy, but she made sure I had my head straight.”