SAN DIEGO - Petty Officer 2nd Class Trevor Liles, a native of Hazel Green, Alabama, inspired to join the Navy by being a member of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps for three years and wanting to travel the world.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
Now, seven years later, Liles serves with the Blue Hawks of Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 78, working with one of the Navy's most advanced helicopters at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
“Everyone relies on the quality of work that we provide,” said Liles.
Liles, a 2010 graduate of Hazel Green High School, is a logistics specialist with HSM 78, a versatile squadron that's capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60R “Seahawk” helicopter.
“My responsibilities include ordering parts to repair the aircraft and get the aircraft back up and running, as well as any consumables they need to do their day-to-day work,” said Liles.
Liles credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Hazel Green.
“I learned to always treat people with respect,” Liles said. “Someone could have a bad day and you don't know what they're going through, so try to be understandable.”
HSM 78'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.
Serving in the Navy means Liles 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, Liles is most proud of completing his first college course while being deployed.
“Not many people in my family had gone to college,” Liles said. “While on deployment it can be tiring to focus on college when you have some time to yourself.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy's most relied upon assets, Liles and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means taking care of the people under you,” said Liles.
“Everyone relies on the quality of work that we provide,” said Liles.
Liles, a 2010 graduate of Hazel Green High School, is a logistics specialist with HSM 78, a versatile squadron that's capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60R “Seahawk” helicopter.
“My responsibilities include ordering parts to repair the aircraft and get the aircraft back up and running, as well as any consumables they need to do their day-to-day work,” said Liles.
Liles credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Hazel Green.
“I learned to always treat people with respect,” Liles said. “Someone could have a bad day and you don't know what they're going through, so try to be understandable.”
HSM 78'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.
Serving in the Navy means Liles 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, Liles is most proud of completing his first college course while being deployed.
“Not many people in my family had gone to college,” Liles said. “While on deployment it can be tiring to focus on college when you have some time to yourself.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy's most relied upon assets, Liles and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means taking care of the people under you,” said Liles.