Battle Ground native recounts his time in Navy

Brendon Light always knew he wanted to serve in the military. As a child, Light enjoyed watching war movies and playing with army men while looking up to those serving in the armed forces. 

His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, his uncle in Vietnam and his stepdad in the Marines. Light said he always put people in the military on a “pedestal” and “really respected them” as a child. 

Light’s desire to serve in the military didn’t let up as he got older. 

He began taking classes at Battle Ground High School in the early 2000s. When he entered his senior year, Light began looking at his post-high school opportunities and decided to follow through on his dream and “didn’t even really look at colleges” or other opportunities besides military service. 

“I joined right at the start of my senior year,” he said. “And then I left for boot camp the next summer.”

Light graduated from Battle Ground High School in 2004 after living between Battle Ground and Orchards for most of his young life. While in school, he participated in extracurricular events like wrestling and enjoyed the time he spent with his friends in town. He chose to join the Navy after a persistent but informative recruiter told Light about the benefits of a career in that branch. 

“(The recruiter) was an aircrewman and I heard all about what he did,” Light said. “He flew in planes and did missions on aircraft and I was like, that sounds really awesome. I’d like to do that and that’s what I joined to do.”

Before he could get onto helicopters and airplanes, Light had to complete the seven week Navy boot camp at the Naval Training Center in North Chicago, Illinois. That was followed by 18 months of training in Pensacola, Florida. 

While in Pensacola, Light went through what he called “basic swim and survival training” where he completed training in running, swimming and life-saving techniques. 

In training, Light and his crew spent time in a pool to learn how to approach and get control of a survivor in the water, put flotation devices on them and make sure they’re not entangled in parachute lines before attaching the person to a helicopter to fly them out of the water. 

Light said he also learned “basic first aid” such as CPR, how to splint broken bones and deal with a spinal injury. 

Light has now served in the Navy for over 17 years and has never had to use any of the lifesaving techniques he learned while on a mission. As a Naval Aircrewman Tactical Helicopter First Class (AWR1), Light works on helicopters where he operates the gear not directly related to flight, like guns. He finds targeting information for missiles and passes along information to control. Missions in a typical helicopter usually include two pilots and an aircrewman like Light.

While he received training at the beginning of his career, Light said he continues to learn on the job every day. As he served more years in the Navy, he transitioned from receiving new training to teaching and mentoring “the younger guys.” 

“It’s not just in the helicopter, but, also in life,” he said. “We’re responsible for being leaders for these guys (in every way).” 

For the past three years, Light served time in Japan where he and his family lived about an hour outside of Tokyo. While in the eastern portion of the world, Light spent his free time in the city eating food and even climbed Mount Fuji for fun. 

“Japan was one of the coolest places I’ve ever been,” he said. “If you ever get a chance to go for any reason, do it.” 

Prior to his time in Japan, Light and his family lived in Jacksonville, Florida where he spent time between two naval bases both on the ground, in the air and occasionally out at sea. 

While he loved Japan and said he “would totally go back,” Light said his favorite memory in the Navy so far was the time he pulled into the Port of Israel while the country was celebrating the 70th anniversary of the nation. 

“That was really cool. It was a great place and they were having a big party. There were laser light shows and people dancing in the streets,” he said. “It was really cool.”

Light said another highlight of his career happened last year when he received a Sailor of the Year award for his command. 

“I was incredibly honored to be selected as Sailor of the Year,” he said. “It was the first time I had done something like that.” 

After a short stint in San Diego, Light and his family are headed to Spain. 

Light said he would tell any high school student looking for a career in the military that there are “a lot of great opportunities” a person shouldn’t take for granted. 

“There’s so much opportunity for anybody. It doesn't matter what your background is, where you come from, what your income level is or any of that,” Light said. “There are so many things that you can do (in the military.) All the doors are there and they’re unlocked, you just have to open them.”