By
Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A 2013 Brooks
Academy of Science and Engineering High School graduate and San Antonio 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.
Seaman Marissa Salazar is an operations specialist
serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.
A Navy operations specialist is
responsible for monitoring the aircrafts flight and ensuring that it is safe.
“I enjoy my job because of the
location, I get the opportunity to work hard and enjoy the area,” said Salazar.
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. “Seaman Salazar 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 Seaman Salazar on our
team!"
Salazar 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.
“Serving in this command is great
because of the family-like atmosphere,” said Salazar.
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 shown me that I am a lot
stronger physically and mentally than I thought I was,” said Salazar. “I have
learned how to push myself farther than the limits I thought I had.”