By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Yesenia Sanchez Prado, a native of Dayton, Texas, joined the Navy to travel the world, make her family proud and do something different.
Now, four years later, Sanchez Prado serves as an aviation maintenance administrationman with the “The Golden Swordsmen” of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 47, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“The people at this command are what make it great,” said Sanchez Prado. "Their character, their personalities and the diversity. Especially because I love the food and the diversity of the food they can make."
Sanchez Prado, a 2015 graduate of Dayton High School, with VP-47, 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.”
Sanchez Prado is also currently enrolled at Arizona State University for a degree in biological science.
“I’m responsible for upkeep and maintaining historical records of the lifespan aircraft,” said Sanchez Prado.
Sanchez Prado credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Dayton.
“My dad always told me anything you work at, always give a hundred percent,” said Sanchez Prado. "In the Navy, it's easy to get complacent, so you keep the mindset that you are always focused on your work and you always do the best you can."
VP-47'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.
“I checked in while we were working P-3's and now that we've switched to P-8's it's pretty cool to be working with something so new,” said Sanchez Prado.
Serving in the Navy means Sanchez Prado 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, Sanchez Prado is most proud of making rank quickly.
“It took a lot of time in studying and learning from a lot of cross training,” said Sanchez Prado. "The people I worked with helped me so much and made sure I knew the material I needed to know to be able to make that happen."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Sanchez Prado 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 is a stepping stone for whatever comes next,” said Sanchez Prado. "There are a lot of opportunities and benefits that you can take advantage of."