By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Raman Wright, a native of Red Hook, New York, joined the Navy to experience different cultures, gain various technical skills and be a part of the military legacy.
Now, four years later, Wright serves as an aviation structural mechanic with the “Screaming Eagles" of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 1, working with the Navy’s cutting-edge maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
“The day-to-day environment is overall positive,” said Wright. “Most sailors in our department are physically ready, technically skilled, supportive, and fair. Command wide, our leadership promotes a healthy culture of being one family.”
Wright, a 2012 graduate of Red Hook High School, serves with a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
“In my job, we are responsible for the structural integrity of various components of many different aircraft,” said Wright.
Wright credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Red Hook.
“A key lesson from my life before the Navy would be discipline in structure,” said Wright. “The ability to be present where you are obligated to be with little tardiness and absence matters.”
Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 1'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.
“It's a normal commercial airplane that Boeing morphed into the most versatile war plane in the Navy's fleet,” said Wright.
Serving in the Navy means Wright 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, Wright is most proud of earning the rank of second class petty officer.
“I showed up on time, in uniform. I stayed out of trouble,” said Wright. “I had a positive attitude. I was willing to do extra duties outside my workcenter's obligations.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Wright and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“To me, serving in the Navy means that I'll have a lifetime of memories that I can proudly tell my kids about one day,” said Wright.