By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2004 Harrison
High School graduate and Harrison, Michigan 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 1st Class Alex McCoy is
a naval air crewman serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A naval air crewman is responsible for maritime
patrol and surface warfare.
“We use
acoustic and non-acoustic sound to track submarines underwater and report our
findings,” said McCoy.
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 McCoy 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 McCoy on our
team!"
McCoy is part of a crew that began
transitioning to the P-8A Poseidon and is preparing for deployment in the future.
“I just checked into this command, but from what
I can tell the crew is a sharp and professional group of people,” said McCoy. “I like flying
and the travel. My job is not cut and dry and every mission is a little different
with problems to solve.”
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 taught me that if you
want to achieve success you can," added McCoy. "There
is always something to push you further mentally and physically. I didn't know I would do the things I am
doing today."