By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sunday Sawyer
Juarez
(MAYPORT,
Fla.) – A 2005 Lake Weir High School graduate and Ocala, Florida 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 Tiasha Gaines is an aviation
electrician’s mate with the “Airwolves” 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 electronics technician, Gaines is responsible
for the electronics systems of the helicopter.
“I love that my job really matters,” said Gaines. “We all
have a part to do and if we don’t do our job properly then the helicopter doesn’t
go up in the air and the mission doesn’t happen.”
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.
Gaines said she and other sailors are proud to be part of a
warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“My prior command was all about mission because it was sea
duty and this command is great about being all about the sailor,” said Gaines. “They
really push education as well as personal and professional development.”
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, Gaines is
learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through
handling numerous responsibilities.
"The Navy has taught me to not let anything define who
I am as a person or what I am capable of,” said Gaines. “It really has shown me
that I, and only I, am in control of my destiny.”