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Senior Naval Science Instructor - Chief Warrant Officer 4 Flaherty
Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret.) Ron Flaherty
CWO4 Ronald Flaherty was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1965 and graduated from Hershey Senior High School, Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1983. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in April 1985 and attended the Personnel Administration Course at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, MCB Camp Lejeune.
In October 1986, Cpl Flaherty reported to VMFA-314 at MCAS El Toro, Irvine, California. While stationed at El Toro, he deployed with Marine Aircraft Group-70 in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Following deployment, Sgt Flaherty was assigned to 4th Light Armored Infantry Battalion, Delta Company, MCB Quantico, Virginia.
In July 1994, Sgt Flaherty attended Drill Instructor School at Parris Island, South Carolina. After graduation, he also completed Marine Combat Instructor of Water Survival School and was assigned to M Company, 3rd Recruit Training Regiment, where he served as a Drill Instructor and Senior Drill Instructor. In December 1997, SSgt Flaherty completed his tour of duty as a Drill Instructor and transferred to MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina.
In February 1999, he was promoted to Warrant Officer and attended The Basic School, Quantico, Virginia. Upon completion, WO Flaherty was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. In May 2002, CWO2 Flaherty transferred to Marine Aircraft Group-16 at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California. While at MCAS Miramar, CWO3 Flaherty deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, serving with Multi-Security National Transition Command Iraq from June 2006 to January 2007. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in October 2009.
Following his military career, CWO4 Flaherty earned a graduate degree in Education from Chapman University, having already completed an undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership. In February 2012, he joined the San Diego Police Department, serving as a Police Officer until August 2014.
In September 2014, CWO4 Flaherty became the Senior Naval Science Instructor (SNSI) at Patrick Henry High School. During his tenure, the NJROTC program achieved national recognition, qualifying for Drill Nationals in 2019 and 2020, and winning the Area-11 Superbowl in 2020. In February 2023, he was hired as the SNSI at El Camino Real Charter School.
CWO4 Flaherty has been married to his wife, Kellie, for 22 years. Together, they have four daughters: Julie, Morgan, Jordan, and Rhys.
Naval Science Instructor - Master Chief Paje
Master Chief Russ Paje grew up as a Navy “Brat”. He was born in the Philippines, but spent most of his childhood moving from state to state within the USA since his father was an Active Duty Servicemember in the US Navy. At the age of 20, Russ enlisted in the Navy at Concord, California, and reported to Recruit Training Command, San Diego, California in September 1987. Upon completion of recruit training, he attended Mess Management Specialist (Navy cook) “A” school before reporting to his first sea duty assignment. Due to a rating name change in 2004, the Navy changed Mess Management Specialist to Culinary Specialist to align with the civilian sector. After nearly 33 years of service, CSCM Russ Paje retired on May 31, 2020.
CSCM Paje has served in a myriad of sea and shore assignments, including USS Peoria (LST 1183), USS Oldendorf (DD 972), PCU Lassen (DDG 82), USS Mount Vernon (LSD 39), USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS Peleliu (LHA 5), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Lassen (DDG 82), and USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). His shore duty assignments include tours at Service School Command, San Diego, California, Navy Food Management Team San Diego, and Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
During his thirty-three years of service, Master Chief Paje rose through the ranks from Leading Petty Officer onboard the USS Peoria, USS Oldendorf, and USS Lassen, to Chief Petty Officer in 2000, and serving on the Navy Food Management Team in San Diego, CA, as an instructor assisting over 300 afloat and shore commands in Food Service operation. He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal (six awards), Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal (nine awards), and various campaign and service medals.
CSCM Paje is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 120/Green) in Newport, Rhode Island, where he received the Physical Fitness award. After two years he was hand selected to the USS Peleliu as the Services Leading Chief Petty Offcer and was subsequently selected to the rank of Master Chief Petty Offcer. His first international tour was on the USS McCampbell in Yokosuka, Japan, for five years, where he participated in the Tokyo Marathon twice and climbed Mount Fuji (summit elevation 12,389ft). His twilight tour was in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; full circle because he attended Arthur W. Radford High School in Honolulu, named in honor of Admiral Radford who was instrumental in the US Pacific Fleet.
Master Chief Paje retired to Las Vegas, Nevada, in June 2020. His first civilian job was at Eldorado High School from July 2020 to December 2023, as the Acting Senior Naval Science Instructor. In hopes to return to his hometown in California someday, he came across an opening at El Camino Real Charter High School and is now enthusiastically serving as a Naval Science Instructor.
He has been married to Jessica Alcantara Paje from San Diego, CA, for more than 29 years. Together they have a son, Nicholas, and three fur daughters, Makana, Fiji, and Summer.
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