KINGS BAY, Ga. – A Brandon, Florida, native is serving aboard USS Tennessee, one of the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarines.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amanda Rae Moreno |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Van Atta, a 2016 Armwood High School graduate, joined the Navy four years ago.
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school,” said Van Atta. “My family has always been big into supporting troops. Without direction after high school, it felt natural to join the military. There is something really cool about the Navy submarine force. Through nuclear deterrence, we provide a blanket of security for all Americans. I wanted to be a part of something like that.”
Today, Van Atta serves as an electronics technician (nuclear), whose responsibilities include operating and maintaining nuclear reactors.
“I also control the equipment which generates power to the boat,” said Van Atta.
According to Van Atta, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Brandon.
“I come from a place where everyone is a hard worker, and you have to be willing to put forth effort to succeed,” said Van Atta. “That is something you see from a very young age. Everyone has to hustle and grind to do better for themselves. I am able to bring that to work with me in the Navy to put forth the effort necessary to get whatever job I am assigned done.”
Known as America’s “Silent Service,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).
Fast-attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare.
The Navy's ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as "boomers," serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles.
Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes. As a member of the submarine force, Van Atta is part of a rich 121-year history of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile weapons platform, capable of taking the fight to the enemy in the defense of America and its allies.
Serving in the Navy means Van Atta is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy submarine force is the number one defense asset this country has,” said Van Atta. “We provide nuclear deterrence as a safe blanket of protection for our country.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy. A major component of that maritime security is homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
“We do two big things here in King’s Bay: we send SSBNs on Strategic Deterrence Patrols and we forward deploy our guided missile submarines overseas,” said Rear Adm. John Spencer, Commander, Submarine Group Ten. “This work is essential to uphold the number one mission of the Navy: strategic deterrence. And this is the only home port for both of these types of submarines on the East Coast.”
Strategic deterrence is the Nation’s ultimate insurance program, and for decades, Kings Bay has been home to Ohio Class SSBN ballistic-missile submarines. Beginning in 2028, the new Columbia Class ballistic-missile submarines will arrive and provide continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s.
As Van Atta and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means that every day I have the opportunity to provide the same sense of security to everyone else in the country that has been provided by the people who have come before me,” added Van Atta. “It is the ability to provide a safe space for other people to live in.”