JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST — Rear Adm. Gavin “Deedle” Duff returned to familiar territory during a recent visit to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, decades after growing up sailing the waterways of Ocean County.
Duff, a graduate of Toms River High School South and the U.S. Naval Academy, visited the Lakehurst installation in July as commander of Carrier Strike Group 12. In that role, he oversees the preparation, readiness and combat operations of the group’s ships, aircraft and personnel.
The group’s flagship is the USS Gerald R. Ford, the lead vessel in the Navy’s newest class of aircraft carriers. The carrier uses the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear, technologies developed and supported by the Lakehurst workforce.
During the visit, Duff toured laboratories and active testing facilities connected to the launch and recovery systems. He also met employees who recently provided operational support to the fleet, thanking them for their work on behalf of service members.
Duff spent much of his youth sailing on the Toms River and Barnegat Bay and visiting Island Heights and other nearby communities. He said those experiences, along with his family and education, helped form the work ethic, leadership skills and sense of adventure that guided his Navy career.
Before attending the Naval Academy, Duff also visited the former Naval Air Station Lakehurst during school trips and watched air shows at the installation.
Although the site has changed considerably and is now part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Duff said the commitment of its workforce remains familiar.
He praised the employees for their enthusiasm and dedication to creating and maintaining equipment used by military personnel around the world.
Duff said his Ocean County background has remained an important part of his life despite years of deployments and assignments away from New Jersey.
He also noted the Jersey Shore’s close relationship with the ocean and the community’s understanding of the Navy’s role in protecting the country.
