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 Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, make it their primary mission to monitor extreme weather conditions in support of the fleet’s daily operations.
Petty Officer 1st Class Kenneth Surline, a 2000 Marysville High School graduate and native of St. Clair, Michigan, has served in the Navy for 17 years and is one of these sailors serving at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor.
Surline credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in St. Clair.
“Growing up surrounded by the Great Lakes, I was used to seeing ships of all types coming and going,” said Surline. “I have always been fascinated by what it would be like to be onboard one of them heading out into the open oceans of the world to explore other countries. Also growing up and having my first computer, I was hooked on the concept of having a career in the computer field.”
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center Detachment provides aviation weather support for the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and resource protection to ensure safety of flight and operations for Atsugi, Japan; Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa; Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae; Diego Garcia; and Commander Joint Region Marianas and Commander Navy Region Hawaii.
As a Navy information systems technician, Surline is responsible for managing and operating computer networks, components and work stations.
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.
“Growing up surrounded by the Great Lakes, I was used to seeing ships of all types coming and going,” said Surline. “I have always been fascinated by what it would be like to be onboard one of them heading out into the open oceans of the world to explore other countries. Also growing up and having my first computer, I was hooked on the concept of having a career in the computer field.”
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center Detachment provides aviation weather support for the INDOPACOM area of responsibility and resource protection to ensure safety of flight and operations for Atsugi, Japan; Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa; Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae; Diego Garcia; and Commander Joint Region Marianas and Commander Navy Region Hawaii.
As a Navy information systems technician, Surline is responsible for managing and operating computer networks, components and work stations.
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, Surline is most proud of earning an Army Commendation Medal.
“I'm proud of earning this award for my combat tour in Iraq in 2003,” said Surline. “I was prior Army with the 101st Airborne Division 3rd Battalion 327th Infantry for three and a half years. It was just an extremely challenging tour.”
Being stationed in Hawaii, often referred to in defense circles as the gateway to the Pacific, means Surline 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.
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Surline, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Surline is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“My father served in both the Army and Air National Guard before I was born,” said Surline. “I have had several uncles who served as well and were Vietnam veterans. My grandfather served during WWII during the Battle of the Bulge. It was also recently discovered that a past relative served in the Union Army during the Civil War. This rich family past of serving in the military influenced me to serve my country.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Surline 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, for me, instills a sense of pride in serving and defending our country,” added Surline. “I have always had a strong sense of patriotism, as my family has served in the military for several generations and saw combat in multiple theaters.”