By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Martin, a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, joined the Navy to serve the country and do something meaningful.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marc Cuenca |
“This command is very family oriented,” said Martin.
Martin serves with Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron 1, a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
“I’m responsible for the safety of flight,” said Martin.
Martin credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Taunton.
“My grandfathers taught me if you start something you stick with it," said Martin. "There's a lot of things in the Navy where you have to stick with things and you see the results of your hard work."
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.
“We've seen a lot of different things from a lot of different angles,” said Martin. "The other day we flew over Mt. Rushmore, so it was cool looking down and seeing it instead of looking up.”
Serving in the Navy means Martin 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, Martin is most proud of sticking with the job.
“There's so much that goes into becoming an aircrewman, that it takes a lot to stick with it and get through it,” said Martin.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Martin and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Being in the Navy is being a part of giving something,” said Martin. "It's better than just standing around and observing what others have given."