By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Chief Petty Officer Nickolas Carmichael, a native of Jeffersonville, Indiana, joined the Navy to follow a family tradition of service.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“We are the largest operational squadron in the Navy,” said Carmichael. "We are constantly busy managing multiple detachment rotations a year."
Carmichael, a 2007 graduate of Jeffersonville 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 monitoring, detecting and exploiting signals of interest in the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Carmichael.
Carmichael credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Jeffersonville.
“I played soccer in my hometown and worked really hard and learned perseverance,” said Carmichael. "No matter where you work or what you do, you're going to run into those days that are difficult, but you have to complete the mission."
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 Carmichael 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, Carmichael is most proud of earning the rank of chief petty officer.
“This accomplishment is a testament to the mentors I have had and the sailors that have worked with me,” said Carmichael.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Carmichael 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 that I am allowed to do my part to ensure we maintain our freedoms and follow in the footsteps of those that have gone before me,” said Carmichael.