By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 1989 Port Saint
Joe High School graduate and Port Saint Joe, Florida 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.
Master Chief Irvin Byrd III is a command master chief
serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy command master chief is
responsible for overall support of the command and the direct advisor to the
commanding officer for all personnel related matters.
“I like the impact that I make with my
job,” said Byrd. “The day to day interaction and collaboration with the
sailors is rewarding and life changing knowing I made an impact on them.”
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. “Master Chief Byrd 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 Master Chief Byrd on our team!"
Byrd 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 raises the level of
performance,” said Byrd. “The ability to raise the bar and every sailor
performing to that level to complete the mission is amazing and prestigious.”
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.
“Since joining the Navy I have learned
that it is more about everyone around me and not my self,” said Byrd. “The military has humbled me and made me recognize how to put others before me.”