Fireman Kelvin Klefstad, a native of Ridgeland, Wisconsin, is training to be part of the U.S. Navy’s 125-year tradition of service under the sea.
Klefstad graduated from Prairie Farm High School in 2024.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Ridgeland.
“I used to work on my grandfather’s farm, and it taught me a lot of practical skills that the Navy demands,” Klefstad said.
Klefstad joined the Navy eight months ago. Today, Klefstad is a student at the Naval Submarine School, training to serve as a machinist’s mate (non-nuclear, submarine auxiliary) in the submarine force.
“I come from a long history of family serving in the military going back over 150 years, and I wanted to carry on their legacy,” Klefstad said.
Located aboard Naval Submarine Base New London, the Naval Submarine School is where officers and enlisted sailors receive the basic knowledge needed to join operational submarine commands in the fleet. U.S. Navy sailors are training at the schoolhouse alongside members of the Royal Australian Navy who are part of the AUKUS Pillar 1 Optimal Pathway, a partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States aimed at helping Australia acquire a conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
