Two Upstate natives are being recognized for their service in the U.S. Navy.
Airman Jason Kuntz of Pendleton has been named “Warfighter of the Week” while serving aboard the USS John C. Stennis. The Navy aircraft carrier is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.
Airman Jason Kuntz of Pendleton, South Carolina, serving aboard USS John C. StennisNavy Office of Community Outreach
Warfighter of the Week is a command program where the ship’s captain personally recognizes an exemplary sailor for their accomplishments. Kuntz is a 2022 graduate of the South Carolina Whitmore School and has served in the Navy for two years.
Kuntz serves as an aviation maintenance administrationman aboard John C. Stennis and is a technical data manager for the aviation department.
"It means a lot to me to be noticed for stepping up in this role as a person with limited service time," Kuntz said. "This was a big undertaking for me, going out of my comfort zone into this huge responsibility."
Also recognized is Gaffney native Petty Officer Second Class McKayla Drummond. She's an aviation structural mechanic assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 — the Navy’s first unmanned patrol and reconnaissance squadron.
A 2017 graduate of Gaffney Senior High School, Drummond has served in the Navy for six years. The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Gaffney.
“The lessons I learned from Gaffney while in high school are resiliency and leadership,” Drummond said. “I was very active in track while in school, eventually serving as team captain.”
