By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2011 Exeter
Union High School graduate and Exeter, California 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.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Gary is an aviation
structural mechanic serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy aviation structural mechanic is
responsible for overall structure of the aircraft and hydraulic components to
ensure everything is working properly and mission ready.
“I like the hands on action of my job,”
said Gary. “It is something that I have never done and I get to work on aircraft
that I had an infatuation with since I was little.”
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. “Petty Officer Gary 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 Petty Officer Gary on
our team!"
Gary 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.
“Everyone at this command are hardworking good people,” said Gary. “We look after one another.”
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 helped me become a better
person,” said Gary. “It has also provided me with resources that can assist me
in every aspect of my life and given me structure.”