By Navy Office of Community Outreach
(MAYPORT,
Fla.) – A 2001 Flagler Palm Coast High School graduate and Palm Coast, Florida native is serving with a
U.S. Navy helicopter squadron that flies the Navy’s newest and most
technologically-advanced helicopter.
Petty Officer 1st Class Lloyd Goodison is a Naval air crewman 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 a Naval air crewman, Goodison is responsible for monitoring and
using strategic defense systems aboard the MH-60R helicopter.
“Being able to go out and fly as a part of my job is awesome,”
said Goodison. "Getting to go out and see everything from a bird's eye view
is pretty cool."
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.
Goodison said they and other sailors are proud to be part of
a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“The thing I love about serving at this command is I get the
opportunity to train the guys first hand who are replacing me,” said Goodison. "I
like to see the excitement in their eyes when they learn something they didn't
know before."
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, Goodison is
learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through
handling numerous responsibilities.
"The Navy has taught me the importance of taking care
of your people,” said Goodison. "It's important to provide the guidance to
the younger guys so they know the ways to be successful without finding out the
harder way."