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 John Vazquez, a 2001 Gateway High School graduate and native of Pensacola, Florida, 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, Vazquez is responsible for answering and responding to phone calls for people who are having issues and for network computer questions.
Vazquez credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Pensacola.
“I grew up in many different military bases in my youth and I learned to make the best out of wherever you are because you know in three years you will be someplace else,” said Vazquez. “Now, I do remember how the military police made sure safety of family members overseas was very secure.”
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 Vazquez 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, Vazquez is most proud of being a part of the second class petty officer association at Naval Air Station Sigonella.
“When I was stationed in Sicily I was a part of the association of second classes and we, as a group, donated food and toys to a local orphanage,” said Vazquez. “That’s been my proudest moment.”
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Vazquez, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Vazquez is honored to carry on that family tradition.
“All of my family, from immediate to extended, have served in all branches,” said Vazquez. “My family has served in the military for many generations. My competitive relationship with my older brother influenced me to join. He joined in one of the toughest career fields just to deter me from one upping him, but he'd never admit that.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Vazquez 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 to me means that with pride I can put on the uniform and make the world a better place for all people,” added Vazquez.