Jake Garn Squadron
US Naval Sea Cadets
SQUADRON BIOGRAPHIES
Commanding Officer Aaron Rudie
Lieutenant (LT) Rudie was born in Coeur d'Alene, ID and grew up in Kalispell, MT. He has called Utah home since 1986. He has worked in the Automotive Service field in multiple roles since age 15. He built, currently owns and operates his own fast-paced, cutting-edge automotive repair shop business in Logan, UT. He is married with 3 boys. He became involved in the USNSCC after two of his boys joined the Battleship Utah (BB31 Division). He started with the program in November 2016 and worked his way up from Instructor, to Executive Officer, to 2 years as Commanding Officer (CO) at the Battleship Utah before joining the Squadron. CO Rudie believes that it is our duty as officers to mold our next generation of citizens, whether to go into the military or other walks of life. They are our future and we need give them all of the skills to succeed.
Executive Officer Troy Bodily
LT Bodily joined the Sea Cadet program as an Instructor in March 2013 at the same time that his son enrolled in the Great Salt Lake (now Battleship Utah) Division. He has held a variety of billets, including Medical Officer and Supply Officer. When he started in the program, he was simply looking to help out the unit. As he gained more experience, he came to see his participation as an awesome calling, a way to help and watch these great young men and women grow into amazing adults. Both of his sons participated in the program. His oldest went on to enlist in the Navy and is currently serving as an Aviation Mechanic stationed in Oak Harbor, WA. LT Bodily has experience as a LT firefighter with Smithfield Fire and Rescue and an EMT Advanced. He is married and has his own commercial refrigeration business in Cache Valley.
Administrative Officer Kendell Hoyer
Warrant Officer (WO) Hoyer comes to us with a wealth of Navy and youth teaching knowledge and experience. He was born and raised in Southern California. After one year of college, he enlisted and volunteered for the US Navy Submarine Force, where he served as Submarine Quartermaster (Navigator), Career Counselor and Education Services Officer while serving on the USS James Madison (SSBN-627 Blue), USS Olympia (SSN-717; Commissioning Crew), USS Haddock (SSN-621), USS Guardfish (SSN-612; Decommissioning Crew), USS Pasadena (SSN-752) and USS Jefferson City (SSN-759). After retiring from the Navy, WO Hoyer earned his Bachelor's degree in Education and Mathematics. He then spent time as a middle school math and science teacher, college professor and College Dean. Currently, he works at Hill AFB as a software analyst and continues to teach math online for various universities. He is married with 3 adult children.
Ensign Carter Rudie
Ensign (ENS) Rudie rejoined the Sea Cadets as a Midshipman in January 2022. He had been part of the Battleship Utah unit for 7 years and achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer, the highest cadet rank possible. ENS Rudie wants to participate in the program because of his recognition of how the program shaped his development and his interest in imparting that knowledge with other young people. In particular, he is keen to share his experience in regards to tactical medical, honors and ceremonies. ENS Rudie works as a sheriff and resides in Logan, UT.
Education Services Officer Marc Russon
LT Marc Russon started volunteering in the Sea Cadet Program in 2015. He started as an Instructor in the Battleship Utah unit, helping with administrative duties and developing curriculum. He then served as Commanding Officer of the Squadron for 3 years. In addition, he developed a summer Advanced Training aviation course that has been offered annually since 2016. He earned national recognition with two awards in 2021: Officer of the Year for the region and the Nicholas Brango Award for Inspirational Leadership. He worked as a civilian military communications engineer for 35 years before retiring in 2018 as the Director for Emerging Technology for L3 Communications. He is married with two young adult children.
Cindy Cannon, Auxiliary
Cindy Cannon became part of USNSCC in 2016 due to her son’s interest in the military. Observing the transformative experience he had and the opportunities available to him inspired her to get more involved. She currently helps in several aspects of unit operations, primarily education support, photography, media and documentation. After his Sea Cadet experience, her son went on to enlist in the US Coast Guard. He returned from a deployment with PATFORSWA in Bahrain and is currently working as a USCG Intelligence Specialist at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado.
Our Primary Sponsor
We are sponsored by The American Legion, Post 27, located in Farmington, Utah. Established in 1919, members strive to promote civic pride. The Farmington Legion and Auxiliary members have carried out regular service projects through the years to aid the town citizens and the needy families of veterans in the State of Utah, as well as those in veterans’ and children’s hospitals. Visits have been made to the Veterans’ Hospital in Salt Lake City to serve refreshments and provide entertainment for the disabled veterans.
Our Namesake
The Jake Garn Squadron is named for Edwin Jacob “Jake” Garn, a prominent Utah Senator, Navy pilot, Air Force pilot and astronaut.
Born in Richfield, Utah to a father who was a World War I fighter pilot, it was only natural that Brigadier General Edwin (Jake) Garn would gravitate to flying. Garn graduated from the University of Utah and was commissioned through the Naval ROTC program. By 1957, he was a pilot stationed at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington with the maritime patrol squadron VP-50 where he flew Martin P5M Marlin sea planes. The Marlin was the predecessor to the Lockheed P-3C aircraft later used by VP-50.
VP-50 was a long-lived Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy, having held that designation for 39 years from 1953 to 1992. Its nickname was the Blue Dragons. A Blue dragon is shown on the VP-50 Patch grasping a submarine.
While stationed at Whidbey, Garn deployed Iwakuni, Japan, where he and his crew conducted reconnaissance missions that lasted ten or more hours at a time cruising up and down the entire east coast of China. The crew monitored all activity, including submarine movement. Because reconnaissance depended mostly on the eyes of the crew members with some assistance from radar, Garn says he got to know the coast of China better than he has ever known the coasts of the U.S.
Some flights were uneventful; others were not. On one mission, Garn’s aircraft was approached by a MiG-15. The fighter flew so close that Garn could clearly see the pilot’s face. He said, “We had no air to air guns.” After several minutes, the pilot waved and flew away. Garn still vividly remembers the pilot’s face. After seven months, the crew returned to Whidbey Island to assume other missions.
In 1960, Garn completed his Navy commitment, and in 1963, he joined the Utah Air National Guard. In the early days of America’s Vietnam involvement, Garn flew supply missions to Vietnam. Garn piloted a C-124, the largest plane in the military fleet, and not-so-affectionately known as “Old Shaky.”
He continued his public service, beginning in 1968 as a Salt Lake City Commissioner, Mayor, and then U.S. Senator for 18 years. During this time, his membership on key committees and subcommittees allowed him to be an incredibly effective proponent of spaceflight and NASA.
In November of 1984, Senator Garn was invited by NASA to fly as a payload specialist on flight 51-D of the space shuttle Discovery. During the seven-day mission, he performed various medical tests. Space Shuttle Discovery Flight 51-D landed at Cape Canaveral on April 19, 1985 after orbiting the earth 109 times.
He was promoted to Brigadier General, following his flight with NASA
Watch the Jake Garn Short Documentary Here:
© 2018 by Jake Garn Squadron, USNSCC.