By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Corcoran, a native of Biloxi, Mississippi, joined the Navy to follow a tradition of family service and work in military aviation.
Now, 15 years later, Corcoran serves as an aviation electronics technician with the “Screaming Eagles” of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 1, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“Life is very busy for me due to my job as the quality assurance leading petty officer, but I have an excellent team and we work together to accomplish our mission,” said Corcoran.
Corcoran, a 2001 graduate of Ramstein American High School in Germany, serves with Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 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.”
“As an ‘AT’, I'm responsible for maintaining aircraft communications, navigations and radar equipment,” said Corcoran. “As the quality assurance leading petty officer, I'm responsible for improving the quality of VP-1's maintenance processes.”
Corcoran credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Biloxi.
“I grew up moving around a lot,” said Corcoran. “I grew up on Air Force bases in the states and overseas and I guess that taught me the importance of diversity and respect. I believe everyone has something to offer and that respect should be given up and down the chain of command.”
Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 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-8A is the best patrol plane in the world,” said Corcoran.
Serving in the Navy means Corcoran 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, Corcoran is most proud of earning the distinction of Instructor of the Year.
“I had to step out of my comfort zone and train myself to be comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people while teaching a lesson that I created,” said Corcoran.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Corcoran 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 I can support my family while doing what I love,” said Corcoran.