OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Lt. Conner Dempsey, a native of Westlake, Ohio, joined the Navy the ability to become a pilot while serving his country.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“The people I work with are what make this command what it is,” said Dempsey. "I am surrounded by great people."
Dempsey, a 2010 graduate of Westlake High School, serves with VP-46, a high-tech maritime patrol and reconnaissance squadron tasked with monitoring the world’s oceans in the state-of-the-art P-8A “Poseidon.”
Dempsey is also a 2014 graduate of United States Naval Academy with a degree in ocean engineering.
“Simply put, I am responsible for flying the P-3 aircraft,” said Dempsey. “I’m actually one of the last to fly the P-3 while we transition to P-8.”
Dempsey credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Westlake.
“My high school wrestling coach taught me the importance of hard work and always giving your best,” said Dempsey. "By applying that to my service you set your goals high and work hard to get there."
VP-46'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.
“The P-3 is an older plane so every day is new challenges,” said Dempsey. "But it's a lot of fun to fly and see the transition to P-8."
Serving in the Navy means Dempsey 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, Dempsey is most proud of serving through two full deployments.
“It was tangible results of what we were doing and provided,” said Dempsey. "We could see the impact of what we were doing."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Dempsey 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 an opportunity to serve my country,” said Dempsey. "I get to give back to a country that's given so much to me."