St. George Island native serves in Indian Ocean By Megan Brown Special to the Times A St. George Island native is serving aboard USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, a U.S. Navy Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base, deployed in the Indian Ocean. Lt. Alek Hoffman, a 2012 Florida State University graduate, serves as an airboss responsible for being an air officer and operations officer. “I coordinate, plan and execute all aviation operations for the ship, said Hoffman. I also am responsible for leading 30 enlisted aviation specialists and am the department head for operations and air departments. Hoffman joined the Navy nine years ago to see the world, lead sailors and gain valuable experience in management. He said he believes the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in St. George Island.