A Nigerian-born United States Naval Officer, Michael Aregbesola, has died in the Red Sea after falling overboard while in operation. According to a statement by the U.S. Navy on Saturday, the deceased was lost overboard from USS Mason (DDG 87) while operating in the Red Sea on March 20, 2024. Recall that Aregebsola became a sensation in 2020 after renouncing Nigeria to join the U.S. Navy, with claims that the force saw potential in him and made him a sailor.
The statement reads; “Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Oriola Michael Aregbesola, assigned to the “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74, was deployed with a detachment aboard Mason, which has been operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet since November. “Petty Officer Aregbesola fully embodied the selfless character and thoughtful warrior spirit of the United States Navy Sailor,” said Cmdr. Eric Kohut, HSM-74 commanding officer. “His outstanding performance prior to and during deployment went well beyond aircraft maintenance; he truly saw and valued every member of the ship/air team. He will continue on in the heart of every Swamp Fox and our brothers and sisters in the IKE Carrier Strike Group. Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with his family.” “Mason and HSM-74 are part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.” Aregbesola, of Florida, joined the Navy in July 2020. He reported to HSM-74 in December 2020. In October 2020, immediately after he was recruited, Aregbesola wrote about his ordeal of being jobless for so many years before his breakthrough in the US Navy. “I was jobless for so many years, my country of birth (Nigeria, now renounced) failed me, but the US Navy saw potential in me and made me a fine ass sailor, working on jet engines,” he wrote on Twitter (now X). In another development, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigeria, Maj.-Gen Mayirenso Saraso, says the Nigerian Army will continue to build the capacity of its Officers and men to enable them surmount the emerging security threats.
The GOC stated this at a three-day capacity building for 1 Division Operations Planning Cadre 2024 for Officers on Monday in Kaduna. Saraso said the avenue was to bring together the participants of the ranks of Captains to Colonels in the divsion’s Area of Responsibility to build cohesion and synergize with sister security agencies. “The training is organized to refresh us on the various aspects of operations planning process in order to enhance our skills and improve capacity in single and joint service operations planning process,” he said.
The GOC said this was in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy. In another development, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division Nigeria, Maj.-Gen Mayirenso Saraso, says the Nigerian Army will continue to build the capacity of its Officers and men to enable them surmount the emerging security threats. The GOC stated this at a three-day capacity building for 1 Division Operations Planning Cadre 2024 for Officers on Monday in Kaduna. Saraso said the avenue was to bring together the participants of the ranks of Captains to Colonels in the divsion’s Area of Responsibility to build cohesion and synergize with sister security agencies. “The training is organized to refresh us on the various aspects of operations planning process in order to enhance our skills and improve capacity in single and joint service operations planning process,” he said. The GOC said this was in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy. Saraso said, “As we are all witnessing, warfare is becoming increasingly complex due to changes in the nature of threats and advancement in technology. “In view of this, armies world over are continually engaged in training and capacity building to enable them surmount emerging security challenges.”
