PEARL HARBOR – Most Americans would agree that communications are a vital part of their lives. The same is true for the U.S. Navy. Instead of using smart phones and tablets, a group of sailors stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, use the most-advanced satellite and telecommunications equipment to share vital information with sailors deployed around the world.
Petty Officer 1st Class India Diggs, a 2008 South Mecklinberg High School graduate and native of Charlotte, North Carolina, has served in the Navy for eight years and is assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific. As a Navy information systems technician, Diggs is responsible for designing, operating and maintaining information systems as well as implementing policies and regulations to ensure the security of personnel.
Diggs credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Charlotte.
“My family taught me three things that I've carried not only through my career, but my life as well: Stand up for what I believe in, I'm as good as anyone else and always respect and value others,” said Diggs.
NCTAMS Pacific is the center of communications for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. They provide command, control, communications, computers and intelligence connectivity to Naval and Joint forces from San Diego to Singapore and beyond. NCTAMS Pacific is the largest naval communications station in the world, known as the “Pacific Voice of Command.”
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.
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.
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means that Diggs is serving in a part of the world 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.
“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 Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades. 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.
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Diggs is most proud of advancing to petty officer first class.
“I feel as though I'm finally in a position of giving back to the Navy what the Navy has given me,” said Diggs. “I'm now in more of a managerial position to take care of and mentor junior sailors.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Diggs, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Diggs is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“My aunts, uncles and cousins have all served and retired,” said Diggs. “I participated in Navy JROTC in high school, but wasn't sure if I was ready for the next step. They helped me see it that it's worth the chance.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Diggs 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 in the Navy has been a blessing. Everyone is not afforded the opprtunity to serve,” added Diggs. “It's been an honor to be a part of this organization and have a purpose in life greater than myself.”