ASHLAND — Ashland native Caiden Piatt’s name was inscribed on an FA/-18 fighter jet in honor of his U.S. Navy service in Operation Rough Rider earlier this year.
From March 15 to May 5, Piatt, 20, was stationed in the Red Sea on the U.S.S Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) aircraft carrier.
While he was there, Piatt was in charge of setting up jets for the pilots, assisting in their launch and directing them in the air.
Piatt said every U.S. Navy air crew member with that job gets their name on a select jet in the group of jets that he or she maintained. Piatt worked on two-seater jets, so the pilot and weapons officer who flew on those jets also had their names inscribed on the jet.
Eventually, those jets will receive tally marks that represent the amount of bombs that each dropped, said Piatta, an E-3 serving as a PRAN — an aircrew survival equipmentman airman.
Sailors in his role are responsible for maintaining and repairing critical survival gear, including parachutes, life rafts, personal flight gear, oxygen systems, and anti-exposure suits, ensuring the safety of Navy aircrews.
Down in history
“It’s cool to have my name on there, especially supporting such a big operation,” Piatt said.
The inscription was made in December of 2024 or January of 2025, prior to the operation, Piatt said.
Operation Rough Rider was an offensive against the Houthis in Yemen. The goal was to restore “freedom of navigation” in the Red Sea and ending Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, according to a West Point article.
The Houthis began launching missile and drone strikes on ships in the Red Sea in late 2023, initially targeting Israeli-linked shipping. The attacks significantly decreased commercial traffic in the Red Sea, according to the West Point article.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansarallah, is an Islamist political and military organization in Yemen. President Donald Trump designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in an executive order on March 4.
The United States ended its military operations in Yemen on May 5 following an agreement with the Houthis. That deal resulted in the group’s concession it would no longer target U.S. military vessels or U.S. flagged ships, according to the West Point article.
The 52-day operation brought more than 1,100 strikes on key Houthi targets in Yemen. An NBC article reported the military actions cost the U.S. more than $1 billion.
The inscription is temporary. Jets are frequently rotated to new locations and repainted for maintenance. Regardless, Piatt appreciates the honor.
His sister, Courtney McDaniel, wrote about it on the Facebook group “Ashland Chatter.” The post received more than 1,200 reactions and more than 160 comments.
‘No doubt about it’
Piatt said he knew since he was 3 years old he wanted to enlist in the U.S. Navy, just like his grandpa and uncle did.
“It was always, no doubt about it, I was going to be in the Navy,” he said.
He used to swim in his aunt and uncle’s pond next door to his house.
“My mom used to have to beg me to get out of the pond,” Piatt said.
Piatt enlisted in the navy after he graduated from Ashland High School in 2023. He is on year two of his four-year active term, with a four year-reserve term to follow.
After his term expires, Piatt plans to return to Ashland, where he’s considering becoming a police officer.
He thanked God and his friends here at home — Riley Hammond, Drew Briggs, Collin Caram and Bryston Martin — for supporting him throughout his navy career.