Ens. Brenden Rodriquez remembers a visit to the USS Intrepid in New York City, when he was in high school, as igniting his interest in aviation. His interest deepened during his Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID) summer cruise and subsequent interactions with aviators. Of his future, he said, "I hope to fly in Growlers [Boeing EA-18G], and regardless of what platform I operate, I am thrilled to part of the rich history that is Naval Aviation."