By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 1996 Munice
Central High School graduate and Munice,
Indiana 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.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Steven
Smith is a naval air crewman serving with
Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
As a naval
air crewman, Smith is not only responsible for the day to day operations of the
squadron’s flight schedules but he’s also an electronic warfare operator, in
which he utilizes various sensors including radar and camera on the P8-A
aircraft.
“What I enjoy most about my job is serving with sailors with diverse backgrounds,” said
Smith. “I also love leading young sailors just coming into the Navy because I
get a sense of pride seeing them develop into leaders.”
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. “Senior Chief
Smith 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 Senior Chief Smith on
our team!"
Smith
is part of a crew that began a transition to the P-8A Poseidon and is preparing for a deployment in the future.
“This
command has a tight-knit family atmosphere with very open communications as to
where everyone feels they are a part of the team,” said Smith.
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.
“As a
third generation sailor, there is nothing more rewarding to me than the sense
of pride and honor that I get with my naval service,” said Smith. “I've learned
that a successful sailor is only successful if he has the proper support from
his family and shipmates.”