TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video features a Veteran's Day parade in Tyler on Nov. 10, 2023.
A Tyler native following in the footsteps of her parents by serving in the U.S. Navy is helping train the next generation of U.S. Naval Aviation Warfighters.
Chief Petty Officer Chereigne Smith is assigned to the Naval Air Station Meridian, which is where aviators learn the skills needed to fly missions around the world.
After graduating from Del Valle High School in Del Valle in 2009, Smith joined the Navy.
“In honor of my deceased parents, Emmett and Cindy Smith, who were also Navy veterans, I joined because of them and to better my life with the best opportunities available,” Smith said.
The Navy news release said the skills and values she uses in the Navy are similar to those found in Tyler.
“The lessons I’ve learned growing up are to be kind and respectful,” Smith said. “Also, be the change you want to see, and don’t be afraid to walk alone.”
Now, Smith is an air traffic controller with the Air Operations Department supporting training squadrons at NAS Meridian, located in Meridian, Mississippi.
“I enjoy mentoring and leading sailors whether their intention for staying in is long or short term,” Smith said. “My goal is to provide them the guidance and information they need to thrive.”
According to the news release, the primary mission of the aviation squadrons at NAS Meridian is training future naval aviators to fly and grow their leadership and officer values. Students have to complete several phases of flight training to graduate, including aviation preflight indoctrination, primary flight training and advanced flight training.
Once they finish the program, aviators earn their coveted “Wings of Gold.”
Smith said the Navy is the country's "forward-deployed force and is a major deterrent to aggression around the world."
Her accomplishment that she's most proud of has been her longevity and determination.
"Being in the Navy isn’t easy and some days you question, ‘Why am I still doing this?’ but the motivation is the young folks that want to do something bigger than them and I get to help," Smith said. “Serving in the Navy is a selfless act that requires a lot of determination and being able to see the big picture."