U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rusty Pang
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Most Americans rely on weather forecasts to plan their daily routine. The U.S. Navy is no different. With numerous ships, submarines and airplanes deployed in the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s area of operations, sailors stationed at the Naval Oceanography Special Warfare Center - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.
As a Navy aerographer's mate, Walker is responsible for meteorological forcasts for special operations forces.
Walker credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Houston.
“I learned a lot of hard work from growing up in a working class city,” said Walker. “My neighnorhood was where most of the guys go into work day in and day out, regardless of weather. You go in and do the job and work hard. That's the kind of work ethic I brought to my Navy career.”
Naval Oceanography Special Warfare Detachment Pearl Harbor's mission is to characterize the physical environment in order to provide tailored interpretive Meteorology and Oceanography Command information and recommendations to optimize route planning, platform selection, equipment load-out, execution timelines, and actions at the objective in support of Naval Special Warfare mission planning and execution, specifically in support of NSW’s undersea component.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs 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.
“Naval Oceanography defines and applies the physical environment for the entire Navy fleet from the bottom of the ocean to the stars,” said Rear Adm. John Okon, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “There isn't a plane that flies, a ship or a submarine that gets underway without the sailors and civilians of Naval Oceanography.”
The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Walker is most proud of earning the expeditionary warfare qualification.
“The only way to receive this warfare pin is to be attached to an expeditionary unit,” said Walker. “I was a really stoked to be able to receive that opportunity. You have to be recommended and picked up and meet the physical requirements.”
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Walker is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies. The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Walker and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy has been my livelihood,” added Walker. “I really don't like the fact that I have to shave every day, but I really like coming home after a long day knowing that I accomplished something for a purpose much bigger than myself.”