OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Ian Barragan, a native of Elk Grove, California, joined the Navy for a change in lifestyle.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
Now, a year and a half after joining the Navy, Barragan serves with the “World Watchers” of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), working with the Navy’s premier intelligence-gathering aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“My command is very mature and responsive, as well as quick to address issues, which is a good environment,” said Barragan.
Barragan, a 2012 graduate of Franklin 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.”
“My job involves in-flight radar operation, as well as looking out for crew safety,” said Barragan.
Barragan credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Elk Grove.
“My high school psychology teacher, David Weinstock, taught me how to handle classroom stress, which comes surprisingly handy in the Navy,” said Barragan.
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 Barragan 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, Barragan is most proud of graduating Naval Aircrew Candidate School.
“The school was a challenge, but well worth it to get to work with some of the best sailors in the Navy,” said Barragan.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Barragan 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 being a part of the most important service in the world, and actively promoting my country's ideals to far-off nations,” said Barragan.