Mattituck alum pilots Navy F-18 coast to coast
Barbara Sheryll of Mattituck watched as her son landed an F-18 at MacArthur Airport in Islip March 7.
“It was one of the most awesome experiences of my life!” she exclaimed. Her son, Lt. Greg Sheryll, a U.S. Navy pilot for five years now, had made his first cross-country flight from California to Long Island. Cheers, claps and hugs welcomed him home; his family, friends and members of the local NJROTC, the organization that he and his mom credit with getting him into the air, were there to greet him.
“It was kind of scary because his brakes were smoking. They quickly sent two fire engines over, which was not a good feeling, but thank God, everything was okay,” Ms. Sheryll said.
“It was pretty cool coming home and a great feeling to see my family there as I taxied back. I’ve been flying F-18s for five years and I was fortunate to fly back to the New York area,” said the Mattituck alum. He added that flying across the country is part of their routine training to familiarize pilots with air traffic control and enhance their training. He attributes his journeys in the skies to the NJROTC.
“I would not be where I am today if I were not in the program. It opened my eyes to what the military is and what it offers. It helped me develop my skills as a leader and a learner and how to be a good person,” he said.
Maj. William Grigonis, USMC retired major and senior naval science instructor with the Southold NJROTC, noted that Lt. Sheryll is exceptional, saying, “He received a Navy ROTC scholarship after four years with us, graduated early from college and went off to flight school. He’s one of many of our former cadets who have become pilots in the military. It says the North Fork has quality kids. We have students who like to push themselves the extra mile.”
The students, he said, try to be well rounded by helping others and focusing on community service. Right now, the NJROTC program, which includes students from Southold, Mattituck and Greenport, has 209 cadets. “It’s a lot more females than males for the past two years,” said Maj. Grigonis. “Greenport has 72 cadets, 59 of which are female. My daughter was in ROTC and now she’s an Army Blackhawk pilot.”
He thinks that there are young people who join NJROTC for the financial incentives. “The cadets see that they can get out of college, have a job and no debt. We know that every $20,000 in student loans is $200 a month,” he said. “Some of our kids look at the program as their ticket out of here plus the medical benefits they get. I estimate 10% of the kids here on the North Fork go into active duty and that’s a high percentage.” He added that the “hidden jewel” is that some cadets are looking to join the Westhampton National Guard. “Plus, they want to give back to their country and some just enlist to travel.” He mentioned Rachel Park of Cutchogue, who was stationed in Japan for three years and is now working at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Maryland.
The lieutenant’s mom added that the program helped guide her son. “ROTC inspired him; it was such a positive influence on our family,” she said. “Greg flourished because of his instructors. He set the goal of becoming commander of his unit, which he achieved in 2015.”
Graduating with the Class of 2016, Lt. Sheryll is also part of the Wall of Honor at Mattituck High School. The wall emphasizes there are ways other than athletics to excel in leadership and receive scholarships. Lt. Sheryll is among 112 local students in the military who have been recognized for their bravery and service. The Wall of Honor, where plaques were first put up in 2017, honors graduates from as far back as 1937. “The kids in that hallway know that the wall shows them what they can do. It’s doing what we hoped it would do,” Ms. Sheryll said.
Lt. Sheryll was recently awarded an Air Medal for aerial combat after he shot down a Houthi drone while on deployment in the Red Sea. Currently, he is stationed in California awaiting his next deployment. “I don’t know what comes after that,” he said.
