SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 2nd Class Blake Carson, a Yuma native and 2020 Gila Ridge High School graduate, is serving with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21 at Naval Air Station North Island, where he works as an aviation structural mechanic on one of the Navy’s most advanced helicopter platforms.

Carson, who joined the Navy four years ago, said the lessons he learned growing up in Yuma prepared him well for military service.

“My hometown gave me the ability to learn and adapt from numerous people at the same time,” he said. “It’s built a great foundation for me in the Navy, and I enjoy learning my job and passing it on to others.”

The “Blackjacks” of HSC 21 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, which supports missions that include airborne mine countermeasures, combat s

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