OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Isaiah Dudley, a native of Chiefland, Florida, joined the Navy for the opportunity to travel and build a career.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“This command is a small, tight-knit community,” said Dudley. "It makes it much easier to talk to everybody and anybody."
Dudley, a 2017 graduate of Chiefland High School, is a naval aircrewman with VQ-1, a state-of-the-art intelligence-gathering squadron flying the EP-3 “Aires,” a variant of the venerable P-3C “Orion.”
“I’m responsible for operating equipment in flight,” said Dudley.
Dudley credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Chiefland.
“My parents taught me the importance of respecting everyone and being in a small town, that was very important,” said Dudley. "While serving, when you give respect you get respect, which is helpful in my job and the military atmosphere."
Members of VQ-1 conduct reconnaissance as well as intelligence-gathering missions. They deploy around the world to monitor the world’s oceans wherever they are needed.
The EP-3 “Aires” is a land-based, long-range, signals intelligence-gathering aircraft. It is a variant of the P-3C “Orion,” which has been in operation since the 1960s. They are still in service and performing missions all over the world.
Serving in the Navy means Dudley 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, Dudley is most proud of completing all necessary training to be in flight.
“I went through two years of hard work and training which resulted in me finally applying my job in flight,” said Dudley. "I just completed my first flight so I was excited and taking photos."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Dudley 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 allows me to serve my country and allows me the training to apply my job in the civilian world,” said Dudley.