By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2006 Cordova
High School graduate and Memphis, Tennessee 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. Christopher Miller is a pilot serving with
Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy pilot is responsible for the
safe operation of patrol reconnaissance aircraft.
“I enjoy flying,” said Miller. “The
scenery of being in the air is peaceful and I fill the most relaxed up there.”
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. Miller 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. Miller on our team!"
Miller 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.
“This command is great because we are a
team,” said Miller. “We are a cohesive unit and it is more about the group
rather than the individual.”
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 structure and
discipline,” said Miller. “I also have gained flexibility to be able to adapt
to ever changing scenarios and obstacles.”