OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Connor Fice, a native of San Diego, joined the Navy to gain direction in life and follow in his father's footstep.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marc Cuenca |
“There's a lot of great parts about serving at this command, but we are all close,” said Fice. "It's a like a family."
Fice, a 2013 graduate of Westview High School, is an aviation structural mechanic with VAQ 138, a high-tech electronic attack squadron capable of altering the outcome of any engagement with the EA-18G “Growler.”
“My job, simply put, is to keep jets flying,” said Fice.
Fice credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in San Diego.
“I had a high school teacher who taught me the importance of sticking with the right people,” said Fice. "It's helped me stay on the right path and find the right people to be around to learn from and connect with."
VAQ 138's primary mission is to conduct airborne electronic warfare while embarked with a carrier air wing. They deploy with aircraft carriers to project electronic attack dominance anywhere in the world at any time. This includes suppression of enemy radar systems, sensor jamming and electronic protection.
The EA-18G “Growler” is the most advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) platform in production today, according to Navy officials. The Navy invests in advanced “Growler” capabilities to ensure it continues to protect all strike aircraft during high-threat missions for decades to come.
“What the Growlers are designed to do is the coolest part of the aircraft,” said Fice. "I like the work flow."
Serving in the Navy means Fice 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, Fice is most proud of being a part of the command.
“I started working on different aircraft and learned a different side of the Navy,” said Fice. "What we do is so important to global protection."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Fice 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 having a sense of importance in the world,” said Fice. "If something were to happen, and we are called on, we are big part of history."