One Sailor entered the history books by completing his 1,000th arrested landing on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), June 29, becoming only the 371st aviator in history to accomplish this feat.

Capt. Keith "Grumpy" Kimberly, Carrier Strike Group 8 chief of staff, accomplished this milestone at 6:37 p.m. flying an F/A-18F Super Hornet, earning his way into an exclusive club of naval aviators.

"The importance and significance of a 1,000th trap achievement is that it's indicative of a lifetime commitment to naval aviation," said Rear Adm. Brett "Pops" Batchelder, commander CSG 8. "To get to that number, an aviator has probably done around seven deployments - at a minimum six. That's many years worth of commitment and I would tell you that to stick around that long and achieve that milestone shows a real aptitude for the profession. Folks that aren't good at it don't stick around long enough to have the opportunity. It's a fairly rare thing."

Batchelder explained that less than two-tenths of a percent of all naval aviators make it to 1,000 arrested-landings and it is Kimberly's dedication to the job that has helped him into this prestigious group. A total of 174,848 pilots have flown in the fixed-wing community since what is recognized historically as the first trap aboard USS Pennsylvania in 1911.

"I didn't meet Capt. Kimberly until 2008," said Batchelder. "Thanks to his reputation, I knew of him long before we met. He is a dedicated professional. He is the glue that keeps things together out here in the strike group. He is my link to the warfare commanders, an incredibly talented team builder and has very high professional standards. In addition to all of those things, he still finds time to fly day and night - in F/A-18s off an aircraft carrier. That is no small feat. His dedication, his professionalism and his aptitude as a trainer set him miles beyond the call of duty."

Kimberly's 1,000th trap marks a milestone in an already impressive career, one in which he has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and Meritorious Service Medal in his 24 years as a naval aviator - and he plans to keep flying.

"Hitting your 1,000th trap is an unbelievable milestone that is impossible without all the men and women in the Navy," said Kimberly. "It's the kind of thing you don't ever think is going to come about, but once in a while, if you stick in there long enough, it's a fantastic opportunity. I'm just very thankful to have the chance."

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit www.navy.mil/.