By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sunday Swyer
Juarez
(MAYPORT,
Fla.) – A 2000 Rao Mesa High School graduate and Camarillo, California native is serving with a
U.S. Navy helicopter squadron that flies the Navy’s newest and most
technologically-advanced helicopter.
Lt. Scott Speakman is an instructor pilot 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 instructor pilot, Speakman is responsible for training the
fleet pilots.
“I enjoy that I get to train fleet pilots and watch them
grow and progress,” said Speakman.
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.
Speakman said he and other sailors are proud to be part of a
warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“Getting to help pilots excel in their future careers as an instructor
is a pleasure for me,” said Speakman.
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 Air Wolves 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 Aircrewmen 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, Speakman is
learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through
handling numerous responsibilities.
"The Navy has allowed me to meet some really neat
people and see some amazing places,” said Speakman. “And everywhere I go, I
still love my mom.”