OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Brittany Earle, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was inspired to join the Navy by family.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marc Cuenca |
Now, four years after joining the Navy, Earle serves with the “Screaming Eagles” of Maritime Patrol Squadron (VP) 1, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“It's hard work, but it's rewarding, and can be fun a lot of times,” said Earle. “There's a lot of camaraderie, everyone in the shop is different in their own way. It's like a brother/sister mentality, and we've really made it into a family.”
Earle, a 2012 graduate of V. Sue Cleveland High School, is an aviation structural mechanic with VP-1, a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
“I help maintain the skin and frame of the aircraft, as well as landing gear and flight controls,” said Earle. “Whatever they give us, we fix.”
Earle credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Albuquerque.
“There's a lot of different kinds of people in Albuquerque, and so many people from all different walks of life,” said Earle. “When you join the Navy there's a lot of different people from different places, and my upbringing made it easy for me to get along with others.”
VP-1's primary mission is to conduct maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence gathering missions. They deploy around the world to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
The P-8A Poseidon, the Navy’s newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, is a replacement aircraft for the legacy P-3C “Orion”. According to Navy officials, leveraging the experience and technology of the successful P-3C “Orion” with the needs of the fleet, the P-8A is designed to be combat-capable, and to improve an operator’s ability to efficiently conduct anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
As the Navy transitions to the full capacity with the P-8A “Poseidon”, the aircraft continues the work- horse tradition established by the P-3C “Orion”. The P-8A has a planned state-of-the-art open architecture mission system and next-generation sensors. These capabilities give warfighters added protection. The aircraft empowers the fleet with more combat capability, responsiveness, and interoperability with traditional manned forces and evolving unmanned sensors. The P-8A “Poseidon” has significant growth potential, with planned, phased-in technological improvements that extend global reach, payload capacity and higher-operating altitude.
“The P-8 is a very advanced aircraft, there's not really a lot of things that break,” said Earle.
Serving in the Navy means Earle 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, Earle is most proud of improving her confidence and leadership.
“It's something that I really struggled with beforehand, and the Navy has given me the ability to gain confidence,” said Earle.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Earle and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“To me, serving in the Navy is being a part of the big picture,” said Earle. “We're all here playing an important part of the Navy's mission of protecting the country, and it makes me feel important.”