Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
SILVERDALE, Wash. – A 2010 McQueen High School graduate and Reno, Nevada, native is presently engaged in a critical mission for the security of the United States: deterring nuclear war.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Grant Westwood, a machinist's mate (nuclear), is serving aboard one of the world’s most advanced ballistic missile submarines, USS Kentucky. Based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington, not far from Seattle, USS Kentucky is one of 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the Navy’s fleet.As a machinist's mate (nuclear), Westwood is responsible for maintaining plant conditions and component maintenance.
“My job allows me to move around constantly and work within the engine room helping others,” Westwood said.
Westwood draws from lessons learned growing up in Reno.
“I was taught the importance of education and being self-sufficient," Westwood said. "My family taught me how to be self-disciplined.”
The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to informally as “boomers,” serve as undetectable launch platforms for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles, and they are the only survivable leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear forces, which also include land-based missiles and aircraft.
As long as nuclear weapons remain in the hands of potential adversaries, the nation’s nuclear forces provide a safe, secure and credible deterrent to the threat of nuclear attack. The Navy’s continuous at-sea deployment of submarines like USS Kentucky provides the ability to mount an assured response.
As effective as the Ohio-class submarines have been over their decades-long lifetimes, the fleet is aging, with the oldest submarines now more than 30 years old, well past their planned service lives.
A new and effective successor is critical to national security, and the Navy is well into the process of designing and fielding a more advanced ballistic missile submarine, which will provide the necessary sea-based nuclear deterrence into the 2080s and beyond.
Submarine sailors are some of the most highly trained and skilled people in the Navy. The training is highly technical, and each crew has to be able to operate, maintain, and repair every system or piece of equipment on board. Regardless of their specialty, everyone also has to learn how everything on the submarine works and how to respond in emergencies to become “qualified in submarines” and earn the right to wear the coveted gold or silver dolphins on their uniforms.
"The men and women from across our nation who volunteer for military service embody the fundamental values of honor, courage and sacrifice that are the bedrock of our Republic," said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, Commander, Submarine Group Nine. "They protect and defend America from above, below, and across the world's oceans. The entire nation should be extremely proud of the hard work that these sailors do every single day to support the critical mission of the Navy and the Submarine Force."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Westwood and other 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.
“Serving means a lot to me. It allows me to provide for my loving wife and son,” Westwood said. “It's a very unique experience that I will always appreciate.”