Matthew Oberlander
When I went to call Lieutenant Commander Matthew Oberlander for our interview, he was actually sitting in an airport waiting to catch a flight back to his hometown, Pickerington. Currently stationed in Norfolk, Virginia with the U.S. Navy, his polite demeanor (responding with ma’am and yes – not yeah) instantly overpowered the background noise of the bustling airport. Jumping into our conversation, I wanted to know about his time growing up in Pickerington – and he had nothing but nice things to say about the city.
“It was a very family-friendly community, it pretty much had all the good aspects that you think of when you think of the Midwest,” Oberlander says. “Everyone was very, very friendly.”
Growing up, Oberlander attended local Catholic schools. He enjoyed being the ball and water boy for Pickerington High School football during his younger years and played sports, such as soccer, throughout his academic years. But even as a young man, the desire to serve in the military lingered in the back of his mind for a couple of reasons.
First, two of Oberlander’s grandfathers fought in World War II, one for the Army and one for the Navy. Both were patriotic and proud veterans – his paternal grandfather even denied a Major League Baseball position to fight in the war. And second, Oberlander was a junior in high school when the September 11 attacks occurred. He remembers it well and says his desire to serve only intensified after this terrorist attack.
“I think about my family, especially my kids, and making sure their liberties and freedoms are safe." - Matthew Oberlander
When he enrolled in the Naval Academy, he never looked back.
“I was happy, excited, nervous but I never had any sort of regrets,” Oberlander says.
Since finishing flight school, Oberlander is now involved with helping phaseout the E-2C Hawkeye plane for the new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Sounds fascinating, right? Well, it is. According to Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company providing innovative systems, the E-2D is “a game changer in how the Navy will conduct battle management command and control.” The plane sounds like something out of a spy film, with features including an all-glass tactical cockpit, advanced identification friend-or-foe system, mechanical and electronic scanning capabilities, and more.
When asked how it feels to take on such a project, Oberlander is modest, but he lights up when talking about flying in the new and advanced aircraft.
“Well it’s not just me on this project, but it is kind of exciting – the impact you do now will be felt by people later,” he says. “I don’t actually fly the plane; I sit in the back and operate all the systems. I think it’s thrilling.”
He isn’t sure if he’ll ever move back to Pickerington – especially since Navy jobs don’t really exist in landlocked Ohio. But since some of his family still resides in the city, he’s happy he’s only a quick flight or a nine-hour drive away. But Virginia suits Oberlander and his children.
“It’s a nice coastal area (in Virginia), and the area that I live is very family-friendly and definitely has some aspects of back home,” Oberlander says. “And we like to go to the beach, it’s definitely a perk that I can be at the beach in 20 minutes.”
As for the future, Oberlander will retire from the Navy in several years but isn’t thinking about that; he wants to live in the present and enjoy every moment of his career.
“I think about my family, especially my kids, and making sure their liberties and freedoms are safe. I know it sounds kind of corny and cheesy, but that’s the main reason (I enjoy the Navy),” he says. “And one of the things that is nice, is that I do enjoy what I do. It’s nice to do something that you feel is important and you actually enjoy doing it at the same time.”
Wrapping up our phone conversation, I remember one more question. While corresponding via email with Oberlander, I noticed his signature was Matthew “Wild Card” Oberlander. Curious, I ask what it means. He says it’s a callsign used in aviation, almost like a nickname. When asked the reason behind having that name, Oberlander laughs and merely replies, “It’s not a good reason.”
But it makes sense, you probably have to be a little wild if you want to fly incredibly fast, high-tech military-grade aircrafts. So, Matthew “Wild Card” Oberlander is the perfect name.
Lydia Freudenberg is the brand loyalty specialist. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
