Daughter Joins Dad In Navy
by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist Kalliyah Lowe
January 25, 2022

Lt. Cmdr. Aaron Cagley from Falls Church, Virginia, recited the oath of enlistment to swear in his daughter Savannah Cagley, Jan. 19, 2022.

The Cagley's have a military family history. Arron Cagley's father was a colonel in the Army and helped inspire his son to join in 1995.

"I joined the Navy in 1995," said Aaron Cagley. "He arrived at boot camp, and it was a very special moment for me when he saw me graduate."

Savannah Cagley grew up watching her father's military success while traveling to new duty locations worldwide. Like most military children, she attended several schools, opposite of what her mother, Angelica Cagley, described as her own childhood experience growing up in the same Hatch, New Mexico location.

"Savannah Cagley was born in 2001, so most of her life, she has been a military brat," said her mother, Angelica Cagley. "It's not a normal upbringing; I mean, I grew up in one spot and didn't travel anywhere. She had the complete opposite lifestyle. That kind of lifestyle is now a part of who she is."

Savannah Cagley completed a year of college in 2020 but felt the Navy would offer a more suitable career path.

"It was a tough conversation with my dad," said Savannah Cagley. "Joining the military has always been something that was in the back of my head, but I told myself, I couldn't do it, I wasn't strong enough."

Savannah Cagley attributes making her decision to join the Navy to her father. She recounted how he was a prominent figure in her childhood and said she always looked up to him.

"It always circled back to him," she said. "He has always been there and been so strong. I've always been so proud of him."

After swearing-in, Savannah received a surprise: her first challenge coin. Navy Counselor Chief Michael Abrajano, from Long Beach, California, gifted the coin and reflected on his service with her father during a Kuwait tour ten years ago.

"It's important to have good contacts you know in your military career,” said Aaron Cagley. “Make friends and stay in contact with people wherever you go."

After Savannah Cagley received her first coin, she joined her family sharing tearful hugs and proud 'I love you' while preparing for her new journey.

"I'm confused, but I'm also so excited," Savannah said. "My dad tells me so many cool stories about the Navy, and I'm so excited to experience that too."

U.S. Navy | U.S. Navy Gifts | U.S. Department of Defense

Our Valiant Troops | I Am The One | Veterans | Citizens Like Us