By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2009 East
Hampton High School graduate and East
Hampton, Connecticut 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.
Lt. j. g. Brooke Pitcher is a pilot
serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy pilot
is responsible for saftey flight of the aircraft
and completing the mission.
“I enjoy
being a pilot because of the opportunities it gives me to travel, meet new
people and experience differerent cultures,” said Pitcher.
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. “Lt. j. g.
Pitcher 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 Lt.
j. g. Pitcher on our team!"
Pitcher
is part of a crew that began a transition to the P-8A Poseidon and is preparing for deployment in the future.
“This
command is great because I am a part of the future of the maritime patrol
communities,” said Pitcher. “We are trailblazers and open up the opportunity
for new missions.”
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.
“The
Navy has given me the opportunity to gain leadership qualities,” said Pitcher.
“It is also amazing to see people from different backgrounds come together to
complete a mission.”