By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2006 Berkley
High School graduate and Moncks Corner, South Carolina
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 2nd Class Shaunta Williams
is an avaition
structural mechanic serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance
Wing 11.
A Navy avaition sturctural mechanic is
responsible for maintaining all aircraft main and auxiliary hydraulic power
systems, actuating subsystems and landing gear.
“Serving with this command and my job
has an important effect on the pilot and crew," said Williams. "When they are comfortable, they can do their job better."
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 Williams 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 Williams on
our team!"
Williams 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.
“The camaraderie is what I like about
this command and of course, working with the aircraft," said Williams. "I like the idea that we
operate in search and rescue missions."
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 about patience
in dealing with the job and people," said Williams. "I like the
benefits of this Navy. I just love my
job."