By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2002 Lawrence D.
Bell High School graduate and Hurst,
Texas 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. Michael Buck is a pilot
serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
As a pilot,
Buck is responsible for flying the P8-A Poseidon and leading sailors.
“What I enjoy most about my job is
flying above the clouds and leading and
impacting sailors for their personal growth and development,” said Buck.
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. Buck 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.
Buck on our team!"
Buck
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.
“I enjoy
the camaraderie amongst my crew and strong leadership within the command,”
said Buck.
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 taught me servant leadership, that people are the number one
priority,” said Buck. “Additionally, the morals and values instilled in me by
the Navy has given me perspective to be a better man, husband, father and
American.”