U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian T. Glunt
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 2nd Class Tiara Morgan, a 2006 Redford High School graduate and native of Detroit has served in the Navy for five years and is assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific. As a Navy personnel specialist, Morgan is responsible for making sure sailors are paid correctly and maintaining their service records.
Morgan credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Detroit.
“Growing up I learned to persevere through different obstacles and challenges and that has helped me the most in my naval career,” said Morgan.
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 Morgan 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, Morgan is most proud of earning the Enlisted Surface Warfare qualification.
“I am proud of both my surface and aviation warfare devices because they gave me the opportunity to learn more about the Navy and other rates,” said Morgan. “I am proud of becoming a master helsman aboard USS Sampson. That qualification was a challenge, but I overcame and was qualified.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Morgan, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Morgan is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“I have a grandfather, three uncles and an aunt who served in the Army and an uncle who served in the Navy,” said Morgan. “They influenced me with their pride of being in the military. They told me to get out and go see the world.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Morgan 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 means being proud to be in the military, being proud to serve my country and being a part of something bigger than myself,” added Morgan.