Karsten Aurella, of Bradley, a 2016 graduate of Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, is serving our country in the U.S. Navy. Aurella was recently part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 1st Class Aurella is an information systems technician aboard USS Chafee, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A Navy information systems technician is responsible for monitoring and administering the ship’s internal communication network as well as ship to ship radio communications.
He is building upon skills and values he first learned while living in Bradley.
“My high school football coach, Adam Vogel, was the first person to teach me to push myself,” said Aurella. “I use that skill to help my sailors push themselves to strive for excellence.”
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
“I am looking forward to working with our partner nations, developing ties with them and learning how they use communication skills in their navies during RIMPAC,” Aurella said.
He has already won the Copernicus Award.
“I am very proud to be a Copernicus Award winner,” Aurella said. “The award is presented to one outstanding person each year in the intelligence rates.”
Serving in the Navy means Aurella is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is the greatest asset to our national defense because we can go anywhere and everywhere around the world,” said Aurella. “We are first on the scene when the United States is needed.”
