By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson G. Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Airman Fernando Roque, a native of El Paso, Texas, was inspired by family to join the Navy.
“My brother was and is still in the Navy, so I wanted to follow him,” said Roque. “I also wanted to support my country.”
Now, two years after joining the Navy, Roque serves with the “Skinny Dragons” of VP-4, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“We're pretty on top of everything at this squadron,” said Roque. “We help with every mission here, and you can see the impact of what we do every day.”
Roque, a 2008 graduate of J.M. Hanks High School, is an airman with VP-4, 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 launch planes on the flight line, and we are always out there making sure the planes are safe on the ground,” said Roque.
Roque credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in El Paso.
“We're a small town, but everyone comes together,” said Roque. “In the Navy, we come from all walks of life, but we all work on the same mission. Keep pushing, keep doing new things and you're never going to stop learning.”
VP-4'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 commercial aircraft that we've converted for our purposes, and it does every job we need it to do,” said Roque. “Whatever the job calls for, we can handle it.”
Serving in the Navy means Roque 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, Roque is most proud of becoming a plane captain.
“It required a lot of studying, and learning every job from every shop in the squadron,” said Roque. “You're the last person to see the plane before it leaves, and you're ultimately responsible for the mechanical safety of the plane before it leaves. I like that responsibility.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Roque 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 an accomplishment for me,” said Roque. “It's something I've always wanted to do, doing my part to protect the country. From the littlest job to the biggest job, we're all doing our part. I'm also proud to serve alongside my brother.”