In 1983, Wagner joined the U.S. Navy, serving on the USS Josephus Daniels, the USS John F. Kennedy, the USS Nimitz and the USS Nashville as a cryptologic technician. He was honorably discharged in ...

In April, another F/A-18 fell into the Red Sea while being towed on the hangar deck. In December, an F/A-18 was mistakenly shot down by the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg during a high-alert ...