Chief Warrant Officer Jason Johansen Wishes His Hometown Of Duluth Happy Holidays [AUDIO]

I'm almost certain that everyone in the Northland either has a family member or knows of someone who serves in one of our Armed Forces.  The holidays are always a tough time for those families when they're loved one is deployed.  Years ago the only correspondence was a written letter that took a very long time to reach it's destination.  Thanks to modern technology we can now skype, facetime on our phones and send pictures and audio.  Like the holiday greeting that Chief Warrant Officer Jason Johansen has sent to the Northland.

I use to focus on the soldier and what they must be feeling being so far from their family traditions, but after I started hanging with military families I realized how much a deployment affects the entire family.

Let me tell you a bit about Chief Warrant Officer Johansen.  He is a native of Duluth, MN and enlisted in the Navy in September of 1996. His initial fleet assignment at COMUSNAVCENT Manama, Bahrain. His time at sea has been onboard USS BENFOLD (DDG 65), USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), and USS SAIPAN (LHA 2) as a direct support operator where he provided Indications and Warnings to afloat commanders. He qualified Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist onboard BENFOLD and Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist onboard SAIPAN. He served as the “OT” Leading Petty Officer and Ships Signal Exploitation Space (SSES) supervisor onboard USS HIGGINS (DDG 76). Chief Warrant Officer Johansen is currently serving as the Information Warfare Officer onboard USS BUNKER HILL (CG 52).

Ashore, Chief Warrant Officer Johansen has served as a signals analyst in the European Signals Analysis Laboratory, at NSGA Rota, Spain, served as a Computer Network Analyst at NIOC Suitland (formerly NIWA), and a Deputy Branch Chief in the Signals Intelligence Directorate at the National Security Agency (NSA). Chief Warrant Officer Johansen was accepted for admission to attend the National Defense Intelligence College where he completed a Bachelors of Science in Intelligence. He received his commission as a Chief Warrant Officer while stationed at NIOC Suitland, where he previously served as a Leading Chief Petty Officer.

He also has many accolades to his name, his personal awarss include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (three gold stars), and the Good Conduct Medal (three bronze stars).

He is married to Suzanne Johansen from Rochester, NY and they have two sons, Lohgen and Skyler. They currently reside in Ramona, CA.