Like Father, Like Daughter Aboard USS Shiloh

A special bond forms between a daughter and her father when they hold the same Navy job on the same ship.

For Lt. Caitlin Dailey, that is exactly what happened when she took on the role of USS Shiloh's navigation officer at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Caitlin's father, retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Donald Dailey, served in the same role as the ship's navigator more than two decades ago. Today he lives in Gainesville, Florida.

"It's really special that I get to serve on board the same ship as my dad because even though we are thousands of miles apart, I get to feel close to him," Caitlin said.

Her father said their shared experience is "heartwarming" and he admires how far she has progressed in her career, adding that she's "very independent and very capable." Although serving aboard the Shiloh more than a generation apart, Caitlin and Donald have both found the navigation officer position rewarding.

"For a navigator, I think the most rewarding aspect is getting underway and pulling into ports, especially if it's a port that we're pulling into for the first time," she said. "Knowing that all the hard work that my team and I put into the voyage planning and all the transits paid off."

But navigation officer isn't the only role Caitlin plays aboard the Shiloh, she also serves as the ship's medical administration department head, in charge of 21 additional sailors and responsible for streamlining the ship's administrative processes, including evaluations and personnel records.

Becoming the captain of a Navy ship is her ultimate career goal and she plans to complete 20 years in the Navy to achieve it. She has already made commendable progress toward that goal, having earned her surface warfare officer qualification in 14 months aboard the USS Gravely.

As for her future plans, Caitlin said she is expecting to be notified soon of her acceptance as an instructor at the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program at her alma mater, Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

In addition to Caitlin and Donald, the Dailey family has a rich history of naval service. Caitlin's great-grandfather served as a lieutenant in the Civil Engineer Corps during World War II, her grandfather was a gunner's mate, and her uncle is currently serving as a chief petty officer gunner's mate aboard the USS Gabrielle Giffords.

Caitlin said her family's willingness to serve their country, no matter the circumstance, is what brings them together.

"We all lived and served in very different times with different world conflicts," she said. "But we all decided to serve. To me, it feels like the thread that ties us closer together."