By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Darryl Wood
NORFOLK, Va. – A 2005 Pleuna High School graduate and Baker, Montana, native is serving in the U.S. Navy at the Submarine Forces Headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Courtney Stanhope is an electronics technician responsible for maintaining, repairing and adjusting a huge range of cutting-edge electronic equipment. They are also trained to work with equipment used for everything from communications, detection and tracking, recognition and identification, navigation and electronic countermeasures.
“I fix and maintain radar, navigation and communication systems and at the headquarters command,” Stanhope said. “I am responsible for high frequency, ultra-high frequency satellite communications, and extremely-high frequency communications equipment. I support my command’s mission, by ensuring communication is always maintained at the highest level of readiness. When problems arise, I work efficiently to return the equipment to readiness with the least amount of downtime.”
“My favorite part of my job is knowing that at the end of the day, the work I do enables the Navy to further conduct its missions around the globe safely and with the time critical communications it requires at the headquarters command,” said Stanhope.
A key element of the Navy’s mission is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our submarines continue to provide access with influence,” said Vice Adm. Chas Richard, Commander, Submarine Forces. “Our elite force is charged by our Nation with exploiting unique undersea advantages to provide the United States influence, especially far forward where other forces cannot complete the mission, and where persistent undersea concealment provides unique access. We use that access and undersea concealment to provide unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in support of national interests, and, if necessary, we are ready to use our undersea advantage to conduct strike warfare ashore, conduct theater and unit-level anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and perform other missions such as employing special forces.”
Stanhope has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“I’ve had family in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force,” said Stanhope
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Stanhope is most proud of being recognized amongst his peers.
“My proudest accomplishment at the Submarine Force headquarters so far has been being nominated for the Sailor of the Quarter,” said Stanhope.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Stanhope and his fellow sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.
“I joined the Navy because I believe there is no greater honor to those who have paid the ultimate price to protect this great nation than to follow in their footsteps, and continue to protect this country and the ideals and freedoms upon which it was conceived,” said Stanhope.
Stanhope’s father, Michael, resides in Choteau, Montana, and his mother, Allison Wyrick, lives in Baker, Montana.