OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Maringo, a native of Butler, Pennsylvania, joined the Navy for educational opportunities and travel.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“Being at a deployable command, everything is fast-paced and mission-oriented,” said Maringo. "Everything ties back into what you're going to do tomorrow."
Maringo, a 2012 graduate of Knoch High School, with VP-46, a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron, is tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
Maringo is also currently enrolled at Columbia College with an associate degree in accounting while seeking a bachelor's degree.
“I am basically responsible for tracking submarines,” said Maringo.
Maringo credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Butler.
“Playing sports growing up in Butler, I learned how to work well with others,” said Maringo. "In the Navy you deal with a lot of different people or new people every day so it's a lesson I use every day."
VP-46'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.
“Working with the P-8 is something that not a lot of people get to do every day,” said Maringo.
Serving in the Navy means Maringo 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, Maringo is most proud of earning a Navy Achievement Medal for intelligence work in Japan.
“I got a really great sense of job satisfaction,” said Maringo. "I got to pump out products every day that was needed."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Maringo 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 get to do something selfless every day,” said Maringo.