By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Bill Steele, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
SILVERDALE, Wash. – A 2012 Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, graduate and Portland, Oregon, native is serving in the U.S. Navy at Commander, Submarine Group 9.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Alika Mosley, a master-at-arms, is serves at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington, not far from Seattle.
As a master-at-arms, Mosley is responsible for law enforcement and overall security on Naval installations.
“I enjoy my community, we work pretty intense and rigorous duties and that brings us closer together,” Mosley said.
Mosley draws from lessons learned growing up in Portland.
“Portland is like a melting pot and it makes you able to relate to multiple walks of life, and that's very helpful in the Navy,” Mosley said.
Subordinate to Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Submarine Group 9 exercises
administrative command and control authority for assigned Ohio-class ballistic and guided missile
submarines and subordinate commands and units in the Pacific Northwest.
Guided-missile submarines provide unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities
from a stealthy platform. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications
capabilities, the submarine performs its mission with a much lower level of risk than what would
normally be experienced when deploying this level of capability from surface or air platforms.
Subordinate to Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Submarine Group 9 exercises
administrative command and control authority for assigned Ohio-class ballistic and guided missile
submarines and subordinate commands and units in the Pacific Northwest.
Guided-missile submarines provide unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities
from a stealthy platform. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications
capabilities, the submarine performs its mission with a much lower level of risk than what would
normally be experienced when deploying this level of capability from surface or air platforms.
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.
"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, Mosley 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.
“Sometimes you have to put the mission first, so it's a big learning step to supporting something higher than yourself,” Mosley said.