OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Airman Trevor Grandfield, a native of Shillington, Pennsylvania, joined the Navy to serve his country and earn the benefits provided through that service.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“I like the atmosphere of this command,” said Grandfield. "It makes everyone more approachable and productive."
Grandfield, a 2018 graduate of Governor Mifflin High School, is serving 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 transporting gear around that supports the aircraft,” said Grandfield.
Grandfield credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Shillington.
“In my hometown I grew up learning from my mistakes and how to be more positive about it,” said Grandfield. "It's a lesson I use while serving every day."
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 Grandfield 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, Grandfield is most proud of carrying a life raft into an aircraft on his own.
“Those things are incredibly heavy and it gave me a sense of accomplishment,” said Grandfield.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Grandfield 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 I am defending freedom around the world, no matter what role I'm in,” said Grandfield.