By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2015 Bucks
County Technical High School graduate and Bristol, Pennsylvania native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, the largest base in the Southeast Region and
third largest in the nation.
Seaman Jessica Ragan is a yeoman serving
with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
As a yeoman,
Ragan is responsible for providing administrative
support to her fellow sailors within the command.
“What I
enjoy most about my job is that I get to meet all different types of people," said Ragan. "I'm a definite people person and I like to be depended on when sailors need
help."
According to Navy officials, Wing 11’s history and
reputation remain unparalleled since being commissioned on August 15, 1942.
Throughout the decades, Wing 11 has continued to fly combat missions in direct support of
the troops on the ground and delivered
traditional maritime capabilities, real-time intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance.
Beginning in the
1960s, the P-3C Orion, a land-based, long-range anti-submarine warfare patrol
aircraft, replaced the P-2V Neptune fleet. After 50 years of faithful
service and the 50th anniversary of Maritime Patrol and
Reconnaissance Force, the P-3C Orion is being phased out of the fleet,
according to Navy officials.
The P-8A is a modified Boeing airframe
featuring a fully connected, state-of-the-art, open architecture mission system
designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Navy officials
explained.
"The U.S. Navy sometimes asks the
impossible of our people. It is sailors that make the impossible possible,”
said Capt. Anthony Corapi, Commodore, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11. “Seaman
Ragan is one example of a selfless
servant of our nation. These heroes ask
for very little recognition and perform their daily job with pride and
professionalism defending freedom and our way of life around the world. Each member of the Navy's combat team is
crucial to our success. I am very proud to have Seaman
Ragan on our team!"
Ragan
is part of a crew that began a transition to the P-8A Poseidon in 2014. Earlier
this year, squadron VP-45 entered the Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle in
preparation for their first deployment as a P-8A squadron.
“What I
enjoy most about this command is that there is a real tight-knit family
atmosphere here," said Ragan. "We take care of one
another on and off duty."
According to Navy officials, the Navy
continues to meet milestone after milestone on this world-class mission and is
providing an aircraft with superior capabilities to the men and women in
uniform that will have a lasting legacy promoting a global maritime strategy.
“Serving
in the Navy has not only stengthened both my self-confidence and self-esteem, but it's strengthened my people skills as well,” said Ragan.