Every day I am amazed at how many goal-oriented and driven Sailors that walk the halls of the VQ-2 Rangers. I have the great opportunity to tell their stories here each week and no two are ever alike, but they do share the constant theme of determination and drive.

This week’s member of the team, Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Daren Huffman, is no exception.

I would describe him as well spoken with the utmost sense of professional pride and extremely good manners.

He discussed his decision to join the Navy and how it has guided him on his current path.

“I worked a series of jobs,” he said. “I was a police officer for a brief period, but it just wasn’t for me.

“When I decided to join the Navy, my parents actually tried to dissuade me, but I felt in my heart it was time for me to go in my own direction.”

This eagerness to shape his individual destiny had a profound impact on him growing up. He regards his parents as a strong force in achieving personal greatness.

“I always had a good support system, so anything I set my heart out to do was met with great optimism by my mom and dad,” he said.

He also described his love of experiencing different cultures and that the Navy offers unique opportunities to travel on various deployments and duty assignments.

“It’s easier for one to travel and see the world with the Navy than it would if you were paying for it yourself,” he said. “This way, I get to travel and see places I probably wouldn’t have the means to do otherwise.”

He is actively pursuing a career as a pilot, because he loves the excitement of flying aircraft and admits it’s a great rush. “I love the whole aspect of what a pilot gets to do, and that is flying missions.

This is especially important right now, given the current state of affairs in the world. I hope to make this dream become a reality while serving in the Navy,” he said.

Other than flying, he loves jazz, especially John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Thelonious Monk. He also is interested in a variety of sports.

“I especially have a great admiration for Lance Armstrong,” Huffman said. “A decade ago, he had testicular, lung and brain cancer and was given almost no chance to survive. Now he’s the most dominant athlete ever in any sport.”

Finally, I asked the question that closes most interviews and that is, “What one person, living or dead, would you like to meet?”

“That would have to be Albert Einstein,” Huffman said. “He is the most fascinating and intelligent person I’ve ever read about.”