Instead of attending college right after his high school graduation, Aaron Goode followed a family tradition of military service and joined the Navy in 2014. Today he is a sonar equipment specialist with Naval Seal Logistics Center—and his research on the history of sonar has captured the interest of faculty in the Department of History at University of Maryland Global Campus (ѳҰ).
Goode described his job as being “responsible for taking what the engineers are doing and translate that into what sailors are doing on ships and vice versa.”
“And then I take what sailors are having issues with related to engineers, and then I personally call or conduct quality assurance for the maintenance,” he added. “And I'm responsible for any sonar-related equipment and auxiliaries across the Navy.”
Goode received a Bachelor of Arts in history from 챬 in 2023. His senior thesis analyzed Project Artemis, a U.S. Navy acoustics research and development experiment from the late 1950s through the mid-1960s. Artemis was used to test low-frequency active sonar systems for ocean surveillance.
The thesis formed the basis of Goode’s presentation earlier this year when he was invited by the 챬 History Student Society to talk about the topic with current students, alumni, veterans and the public.
“The primary goal of Project Artemis was to enhance anti-submarine warfare, or ASW as it is called,” Goode said. “The project played a critical role in strengthening national security and improving our maritime defense. These systems are crucial for detecting and tracking underwater threats [such] as submarines. We also can use it to track surface unit and planes.”
Danielle Skjelver, collegiate professor of history at 챬 and faculty adviser for the History Student Society, organized Goode’s presentation for the 챬 community.
“Aaron Goode exemplifies so much of what we do in the history program. He pursued his passion while mastering broadly applicable skills,” Skjelver said. “As a graduate, he uses the historical thinking and systems skills that he learned as a history major to enhance the value that he brings to his professional work. I am so proud to have had the chance to work with Goode and to provide him with a platform to share his important research.”
Goode’s presentation detailed how Project Artemis grew out of more than 60 years of sonar advancements, starting with Cold War-era developments. Project Artemis is a critical milestone in improving the United States’ underwater defense and national security. The program's continued success strengthens the U.S. Navy's ability to monitor and neutralize underwater threats.
Goode lived in San Diego, California, Washington state and Virginia when he was in the Navy and was deployed to the Middle East. Today Virginia is his base; he resides in Carrollton and works in Portsmouth at the Newport News shipyard.
Goode said a mentor on his first ship encouraged him to look into college. “There's a lot of opportunities out there and I wanted to find a program out East,” Goode said, explaining how he ended up at 챬.
He noted that his academic journey at 챬 was “not the fastest thing that I've ever done because I was working and went through a couple deployments, but 챬 was always flexible. My professors were always willing to help me out, especially at times when I couldn't have access to the internet for long period of time.”
His 챬 graduation was not the only big thing that occurred in Goode’s life in 2023. He was also medically discharged from the Navy due to a rare disorder, achalasia, which leaves his esophagus unable to move food and liquids into his stomach. Goode had surgery for the condition and is now in maintenance mode while doctors keep an eye on him.
Against that backdrop, Goode is focused on living life to its fullest. He is finishing up a master’s degree in military history. From there, he plans to continue his education and, possibly, become a college professor.
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