SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 3rd Class Ketrick Hagins, a native of Portal, Georgia, was inspired to join the Navy to help his family and be a better role model for his cousins and younger siblings.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
Now, three years later, Hagins serves with the Scorpions of Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 49, working with one of the Navy’s most advanced helicopters at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
“I enjoy being in the squadron," Hagins said. "It's pretty much like a family to me. You get to interact with all the different rates.”
Hagins, a 2013 graduate of Portal High School, is a aviation maintenance administrationman 3rd class with Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 49, a versatile squadron that’s capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60R “Seahawk” helicopter.
“My job is to basically keep track of the aircraft from the parts, to the hours, to who's operating it," Hagins said. "We log records on every detail, every part. Everything that has to do with the aircraft we update and track it.”
Hagins credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Portal.
“I learned to be respectful and always show kindness toward everyone,” said Hagins.
Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 49's primary mission is to conduct sea control operations in open-ocean and coastal environments as an expeditionary unit. This includes hunting for submarines, searching for surface targets over the horizon and conducting search and rescue operations.
According to Navy officials, the MH-60R is the Navy's new primary maritime dominance helicopter. Greatly enhanced over its predecessors, the MH-60R helicopter features a glass cockpit and significant mission system improvements, which give it unmatched capability as an airborne multi-mission naval platform.
As the U.S. Navy's next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, the MH-60R "Romeo" is the cornerstone of the Navy's Helicopter Concept of Operations. Anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare are the MH-60R's primary missions. Secondary missions include search and rescue, medical evacuation, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, communications relay, command, control, communications, command and control warfare and non-combat operations.
“To me the most unique thing is probably the forward looking infrared, only because it's able to do so many things from shooting lasers to zooming into the moon,” said Hagins.
Serving in the Navy means Hagins is part of a 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.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, 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.
“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.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Hagins is most proud of guiding aircraft to land on a ship as the landing signal enlistedman.
“A lot of people would be terrified standing in front of a spinning helicoptor," Hagins said. "You have to maintain your sturdiness.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Hagins and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It means a lot when you have people looking up to you and you want to show them that there are other ways of becoming successful," Hagins said.
“I enjoy being in the squadron," Hagins said. "It's pretty much like a family to me. You get to interact with all the different rates.”
Hagins, a 2013 graduate of Portal High School, is a aviation maintenance administrationman 3rd class with Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 49, a versatile squadron that’s capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60R “Seahawk” helicopter.
“My job is to basically keep track of the aircraft from the parts, to the hours, to who's operating it," Hagins said. "We log records on every detail, every part. Everything that has to do with the aircraft we update and track it.”
Hagins credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Portal.
“I learned to be respectful and always show kindness toward everyone,” said Hagins.
Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 49's primary mission is to conduct sea control operations in open-ocean and coastal environments as an expeditionary unit. This includes hunting for submarines, searching for surface targets over the horizon and conducting search and rescue operations.
According to Navy officials, the MH-60R is the Navy's new primary maritime dominance helicopter. Greatly enhanced over its predecessors, the MH-60R helicopter features a glass cockpit and significant mission system improvements, which give it unmatched capability as an airborne multi-mission naval platform.
As the U.S. Navy's next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, the MH-60R "Romeo" is the cornerstone of the Navy's Helicopter Concept of Operations. Anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare are the MH-60R's primary missions. Secondary missions include search and rescue, medical evacuation, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, communications relay, command, control, communications, command and control warfare and non-combat operations.
“To me the most unique thing is probably the forward looking infrared, only because it's able to do so many things from shooting lasers to zooming into the moon,” said Hagins.
Serving in the Navy means Hagins is part of a 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.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, 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.
“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.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Hagins is most proud of guiding aircraft to land on a ship as the landing signal enlistedman.
“A lot of people would be terrified standing in front of a spinning helicoptor," Hagins said. "You have to maintain your sturdiness.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Hagins and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It means a lot when you have people looking up to you and you want to show them that there are other ways of becoming successful," Hagins said.