By Navy Office of Community Outreach
(MAYPORT,
Fla.) – A 2008 Glenn Academy graduate and Brunswick, Georgia native is serving with a
U.S. Navy helicopter squadron that flies the Navy’s newest and most
technologically-advanced helicopter.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marlena Miller is an aviation
maintenance administration with the “Air Wolves” of Helicopter Maritime Strike
Squadron (HSM) 40, a Mayport, Florida based squadron that operates the Navy’s
next generation submarine hunter and Anti-Surface Warfare helicopter, the
MH-60R Seahawk. Each helicopter is nearly 65 feet long, may weigh up to 23,500
lbs. (max gross) and can travel over 120 miles per hour for nearly 320 miles on
a tank of gas.
As an aviation maintenance administration, Miller is
responsible for the upkeep of aircraft logbooks.
“I like that my job is directly responsible for keeping the
pilots safe,” said Miller.
According to
Navy officials, the MH-60R is the most capable multi-mission helicopter
available in the world today. It is used for a variety of missions, including
hunting and tracking enemy submarines, attacking enemy ships, search and
rescue, drug interdiction, delivering supplies and supporting the Navy’s
special operations forces.
It is replacing
the Navy’s older helicopters because of its greater versatility and more
advanced weapon systems.
Miller said they and other sailors are proud to be part of a
warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“Being at this command gives me the opportunity to spend
time with my family and go to school while being able to support the mission of
the Navy,” said Miller.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied within the squadron.
Approximately 297 Navy men and women are assigned and keep all parts of the
squadron running smoothly. This includes everything from maintaining
helicopter airframes and engines, to processing paperwork, handling weapons and
flying the aircraft.
"The Airwolves of HSM-40, represent the best and the
brightest our Navy has to offer,” said Cmdr. David Loo, HSM-40 commanding
officer. “HSM-40's mission
is to train Fleet Replacement Pilots and Aircrewman for deployed shipboard
operations in the MH-60R Seahawk aircraft.
The training conducted includes aircraft flights and full visual
simulators in Aircraft Operations, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine
Warfare, Search and Rescue, and Shipboard Operations. HSM-40’s support, maintenance, and instructor
staff allow for the completion of over 100 assigned students, year round,
operating 16 MH-60R helicopters and 5 simulators.”
Serving in the
Navy, Miller is
learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through
handling numerous responsibilities.
"The most important thing I have learned while serving
in the Navy is becoming a better leader by working with people from different
backgrounds,” said Miller.