SAN DIEGO – Lt. j.g. Jonathan Vickner, a native of Sutter, California, was inspired to join the Navy for new experiences.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
"I wanted to see how far I can go," Vickner said. "My town is very small. I was interested to see what kind of opportunities I could find while I was young. I wanted to see the world and the military was one of the options for that. It got me here and I've had a lot of awesome experiences since then.”
Now, three years later, Vickner serves with the Chargers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14, working with one of the Navy’s true workhorse aircraft at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
“Serving here requires a lot studying and keeping your knowledge up," Vickner said. "There's a lot of reassessing yourself with quarterly, annual and semi-annual retests. You're always trying to better yourself. It's a lot of connecting with people and helping out where I can.”
Vickner, a 2012 graduate of Sutter Union High School, is a pilot with HSC 14, a versatile squadron that’s capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60S “Seahawk” helicopter.
“We're responsible for our own safety and for staying prepared as pilots," Vickner said. "As a pilot I'm responsible for the entire safety of the crew. Everybody in the crew has a responsibility for looking out for each other, having the appropriate knowledge base, having a good level of communication and having personal pride in what they do.”
Vickner credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Sutter.
“I learned the importance of teamwork," Vickner said. "When you work together you can do a lot more than you can do alone.”
HSC 14 provides all-weather, combat-ready aircraft and crew to conduct anti-surface warfare, personnel recovery, special warfare support, search and rescue, and logistics for aircraft carrier air wings and navy shore installations. It flies the MH-60S “Seahawk” helicopter, a state-of-the-art design that provides the Navy with true versatility, able to complete a number of mission requirements, according to Navy officials.
The MH-60S with its glass cockpit incorporates active matrix LCD displays, used to facilitate pilot and co-pilot vertical and horizontal situation presentations. Another major design of the MH-60S is a "common cockpit," which is shared with the MH-60R. This allows pilots to shift from one aircraft to another with minimal re-training.
“It is a very multi-mission capable aircraft," Vickner said. "There are many missions we can do and that we train to do well. We're a jack of all trades.”
Serving in the Navy means Vickner 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, Vickner is most proud of earning his wings as a pilot.
“That’s probably the most proud I was," Vickner said. "Getting those golden wings. There's moments you think, 'Can I do this?', but you pull together and work with the people around you and put your nose to the grind stone and then you have those golden wings on your chest.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Vickner and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I focus on what I can do to help the people in the Navy I work with," Vickner said. "If I can work every day to help the people who work with me, as long as I made a positive impact on those people, I think that's great.”
Now, three years later, Vickner serves with the Chargers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14, working with one of the Navy’s true workhorse aircraft at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego.
“Serving here requires a lot studying and keeping your knowledge up," Vickner said. "There's a lot of reassessing yourself with quarterly, annual and semi-annual retests. You're always trying to better yourself. It's a lot of connecting with people and helping out where I can.”
Vickner, a 2012 graduate of Sutter Union High School, is a pilot with HSC 14, a versatile squadron that’s capable of completing a number of important missions for the Navy with the MH-60S “Seahawk” helicopter.
“We're responsible for our own safety and for staying prepared as pilots," Vickner said. "As a pilot I'm responsible for the entire safety of the crew. Everybody in the crew has a responsibility for looking out for each other, having the appropriate knowledge base, having a good level of communication and having personal pride in what they do.”
Vickner credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Sutter.
“I learned the importance of teamwork," Vickner said. "When you work together you can do a lot more than you can do alone.”
HSC 14 provides all-weather, combat-ready aircraft and crew to conduct anti-surface warfare, personnel recovery, special warfare support, search and rescue, and logistics for aircraft carrier air wings and navy shore installations. It flies the MH-60S “Seahawk” helicopter, a state-of-the-art design that provides the Navy with true versatility, able to complete a number of mission requirements, according to Navy officials.
The MH-60S with its glass cockpit incorporates active matrix LCD displays, used to facilitate pilot and co-pilot vertical and horizontal situation presentations. Another major design of the MH-60S is a "common cockpit," which is shared with the MH-60R. This allows pilots to shift from one aircraft to another with minimal re-training.
“It is a very multi-mission capable aircraft," Vickner said. "There are many missions we can do and that we train to do well. We're a jack of all trades.”
Serving in the Navy means Vickner 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, Vickner is most proud of earning his wings as a pilot.
“That’s probably the most proud I was," Vickner said. "Getting those golden wings. There's moments you think, 'Can I do this?', but you pull together and work with the people around you and put your nose to the grind stone and then you have those golden wings on your chest.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Vickner and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I focus on what I can do to help the people in the Navy I work with," Vickner said. "If I can work every day to help the people who work with me, as long as I made a positive impact on those people, I think that's great.”