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 Roderick Traylor, a 2010 Bob Jones High School graduate and native of Madison, Alabama, has served in the Navy for six years and is assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific. As a Navy yeoman, Traylor is responsible for creating, producing and handling paperwork, writing letters, notices, directives for instructions, forms and reports.
Traylor credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Madison.
“My hometown is mostly Army and there is a lot of respect and admiration for anyone who currently served or has served,” said Traylor. “I learned from my dad that nothing comes from nothing. He taught me discipine and structure and instilling hard work and determination will get me far.”
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 Traylor 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, Traylor is most proud of earning his experiences in his Navy career.
“I am most proud of what I have learned so far and I'm excited to learned and experience even more,” said Traylor. “Crossing over into the Arctic Circle and sailing over the Titanic was something I'm proud to say I've experienced.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Traylor, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Traylor is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“My father and two of his brothers served in the Army and my grandfather served in the National Guard,” said Traylor. “I was already used to the customs of living a military life, so joining seemed normal to me.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Traylor 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.
“To me, serving in the Navy, or any other branch, is to do my part in honoring those who have paved ways, served and sacrificed to protect this country,” added Traylor.