By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2012 Boone
County High School graduate and Florence, Kentucky 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 Tim Kidwell is a aircrew survival equipmentman serving with Commander, Patrol
and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy aircrew survival equipmentman is responsible
for survival
equipment upkeep for the squadron.
“I
make sure that periodic inspections are conducted on the survival equipment and
ready to go at a moment’s notice," said Kidwell. "I care about people and my job is saving
lives when their survival equipment is their last resort."
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 Kidwell 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 Kidwell
on our team!"
Kidwell
“I am very fortunate to be at this
command," said Kidwell. "Everyone at this command is
helpful and caring inside and outside of work and the leadership is great."
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.
“Since joining the Navy, I have matured
a great deal," added Kidwell. "The Navy taught me a lot about teamwork and this is where is matters. This also helps me in all levels of my life
and preparing for college."