WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:07.599
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for your superior military leaders and actual run normal duty day turns into a catastrophe, and you military members still must lead.
00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.919
I am Christian, the hype man sledge, host of the Skiff International Podcast.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.000
And today we are continuing our 2026 USO Service Member of the Year series.
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.039
Today we are spotlighting Chief Petty Officer Joseph Hawthorne, United States Navy.
00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.559
To Chief Hawthorne's family, wherever you are, you got a chief to be proud of.
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.120
Stance of approval, certified, battle tested.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:27.519
U.S.
00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.600
Navy approved as a USO Navy Service Member of the Year for 2026.
00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:37.920
The Navy needs zero visibility underwater operations, multi-day recovery in foreign waters with active environmental containment risk.
00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.520
No problem, Chief Petty Officer calls that a Tuesday.
00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:44.159
So why is he so special and what makes him different?
00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:45.920
So let me go ahead and hype that up for you.
00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:53.119
Lithuania 2025, an armored vehicle with four USDC service members inside submergents underwater.
00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:54.719
This is not a training scenario.
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.920
This vehicle is down.
00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.520
The water is zero visibility.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:01.439
Four people need to come home, and somebody has to go in.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.799
You know what zero visibility underwater means.
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.280
You cannot see your hand in front of your face.
00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:09.280
You cannot see the entrapment hazards.
00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:11.120
You cannot see what's pulling at you.
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:12.560
You can't see any creatures.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:14.000
The water is contaminated.
00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.480
Environmental poisoning is a real threat.
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:19.120
And the operation has to run 24-7.
00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:22.239
Swimming in the waters, bringing our service members home.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.400
Most people can't even think about going in.
00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:25.840
But you know my thoughts on this.
00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.000
Panic is easy, hesitation is fatal.
00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:33.040
Chief Hawthorne leads the recovery not from the surface, not from the command tower.
00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:35.519
He goes in and leads from the front.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:42.719
Chief stayed in the area until the mission was D1 done, and those service members were able to come home.
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:48.000
Poseidon thought he had to claim, but Chief went in the water and claimed what belongs to those families.
00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.200
All four service members recovered.
00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:52.239
Mission complete.
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:54.319
Ascending leadership moment, you guys.
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.879
There's no glory in the recovery mission.
00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.760
You know what you're doing and you know what you got to bring back.
00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.079
And sometimes you may not even come back yourself.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:08.400
Takes a different kind of mental courage and fortitude that most people can't even simulate in their worst nightmares.
00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.919
Chief Hawthorne led through the darkness, literally, so four families could have closure.
00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:18.479
USO 2026, Navy Service Member of the Year.
00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:22.000
Every last word of that title is earned.
00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:22.639
All right.
00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:32.319
So Chief Hawthorne and all the service members doing your thing, whether seen or unseen, we thank you for your service, especially during these troubling times.
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:33.680
But you know what this is.
00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.479
Everybody outside not trying to hear that, they just want to dance.
00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:39.360
So, yo NATO, go ahead and put some beat on this video.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:45.360
And why you guys are here dancing, subscribe here and the Skiff International podcast in the description below.
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:54.639
If you want to hear more about your superior and everyday leaders in action, or better yet, send me a link of article if you want me to highlight a service member doing big things out there.
00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:55.280
All right.
00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.080
Hype out and shout out to NATO.
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:07.599
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for your superior military leaders and actual run normal duty day turns into a catastrophe, and you military members still must lead.
00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.919
I am Christian, the hype man sledge, host of the Skiff International Podcast.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.000
And today we are continuing our 2026 USO Service Member of the Year series.
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.039
Today we are spotlighting Chief Petty Officer Joseph Hawthorne, United States Navy.
00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.559
To Chief Hawthorne's family, wherever you are, you got a chief to be proud of.
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.120
Stance of approval, certified, battle tested.
00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:27.519
U.S.
00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.600
Navy approved as a USO Navy Service Member of the Year for 2026.
00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:37.920
The Navy needs zero visibility underwater operations, multi-day recovery in foreign waters with active environmental containment risk.
00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.520
No problem, Chief Petty Officer calls that a Tuesday.
00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:44.159
So why is he so special and what makes him different?
00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:45.920
So let me go ahead and hype that up for you.
00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:53.119
Lithuania 2025, an armored vehicle with four USDC service members inside submergents underwater.
00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:54.719
This is not a training scenario.
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.920
This vehicle is down.
00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.520
The water is zero visibility.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:01.439
Four people need to come home, and somebody has to go in.
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.799
You know what zero visibility underwater means.
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.280
You cannot see your hand in front of your face.
00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:09.280
You cannot see the entrapment hazards.
00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:11.120
You cannot see what's pulling at you.
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:12.560
You can't see any creatures.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:14.000
The water is contaminated.
00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.480
Environmental poisoning is a real threat.
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:19.120
And the operation has to run 24-7.
00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:22.239
Swimming in the waters, bringing our service members home.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.400
Most people can't even think about going in.
00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:25.840
But you know my thoughts on this.
00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.000
Panic is easy, hesitation is fatal.
00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:33.040
Chief Hawthorne leads the recovery not from the surface, not from the command tower.
00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:35.519
He goes in and leads from the front.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:42.719
Chief stayed in the area until the mission was D1 done, and those service members were able to come home.
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:48.000
Poseidon thought he had to claim, but Chief went in the water and claimed what belongs to those families.
00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.200
All four service members recovered.
00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:52.239
Mission complete.
00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:54.319
Ascending leadership moment, you guys.
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.879
There's no glory in the recovery mission.
00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.760
You know what you're doing and you know what you got to bring back.
00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.079
And sometimes you may not even come back yourself.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:08.400
Takes a different kind of mental courage and fortitude that most people can't even simulate in their worst nightmares.
00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.919
Chief Hawthorne led through the darkness, literally, so four families could have closure.
00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:18.479
USO 2026, Navy Service Member of the Year.
00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:22.000
Every last word of that title is earned.
00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:22.639
All right.
00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:32.319
So Chief Hawthorne and all the service members doing your thing, whether seen or unseen, we thank you for your service, especially during these troubling times.
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:33.680
But you know what this is.
00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.479
Everybody outside not trying to hear that, they just want to dance.
00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:39.360
So, yo NATO, go ahead and put some beat on this video.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:45.360
And why you guys are here dancing, subscribe here and the Skiff International podcast in the description below.
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:54.639
If you want to hear more about your superior and everyday leaders in action, or better yet, send me a link of article if you want me to highlight a service member doing big things out there.
00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:55.280
All right.
00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.080
Hype out and shout out to NATO.
