by Lt. Wes Holzapfel, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class Robert Zhan
(MAYPORT, Fla.) – A 2008 Laurens
District 55 High School graduate
and Laurens, South Carolina native is serving with a U.S. Navy
helicopter squadron that flies the Navy’s newest and most
technologically-advanced helicopter.
Airman Michael Ferguson is an aviation electrician's mate with the “Airwolves” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron
(HSM) 40, a Mayport, Florida based
squadron that operates the Navy’s next generation submarine hunter and
Anti-Surface Warfare helicopter, the MH-60R Seahawk. Each helicopter is nearly
65 feet long, may weigh up to 23,500 lbs. (max gross) and can travel over 120
miles per hour for nearly 320 miles on a tank of gas.
As an aviation
electrician's mate, Ferguson is responsible for maintaining
mult-million dollar helicopters for the Navy.
Sailors take many of
the lessons from their hometowns and apply them to their military careers.
“I learned early on that
life is what you make of it,” said Ferguson.
“You can’t let situations make you who you are. You have to make situations
work for you.”
Some sailors come from a long lineage of service members.
“My grandfather served in
the military,” said Ferguson. “He seved in World War II. He was one of the first
platoons to storm the beaches in Normady. He is partly the reason I joined.”
According to Navy officials, the MH-60R is the most capable
multi-mission helicopter available in the world today. It is used for a variety
of missions, including hunting and tracking enemy submarines, attacking enemy
ships, search and rescue, drug interdiction, delivering supplies and supporting
the Navy’s special operations forces.
It is replacing the Navy’s older helicopters because of its
greater versatility and more advanced weapon systems.
Ferguson said they are proud to be part of a warfighting team that
readily defends America at all times.
Sailors’ jobs are
highly varied within the squadron. Approximately 297 Navy men and women are
assigned and keep all parts of the squadron running smoothly. This
includes everything from maintaining helicopter airframes and engines, to
processing paperwork, handling weapons and flying the aircraft.
Serving in the Navy, Ferguson is learning about being a more
respectable leader, Sailor and person through handling numerous
responsibilities.
“I love serving my country,”
said Ferguson. “It gives me a sense of pride.”