STAUNTON, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – One of the Valley’s own is getting his moment in the sun for his work aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier in some of the most hotly-contested waters in the world.

The Navy is highlighting Staunton native Ryan Damron, an aviation structural mechanic airman who’s deployed on the USS Ronald Reagan in the Indo-Pacific. The region is facing a growing threat from the rise of the Chinese navy.

Part of Damron’s duties include maintaining the FA-18 Super Hornet – widely regarded as one of the military’s premier fighter jets. Each jet starts with a price tag around $66 million dollars.