By Dustin Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OAK HARBOR, Wash. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Madison Milliken, a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, joined the Navy following a family tradition of military service.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Emilia Hilliard |
“This command gives me a great opportunity to travel,” said Milliken. "I've gotten to go to Djibouti, Oman, Saudi Arabia, stopped in Ireland, which was cool and Hawaii is amazing."
Milliken, a 2013 graduate of Forest Hill 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.”
“I am responsible for electrical components of the P-8,” said Milliken.
Milliken credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in West Palm Beach.
“My hometown taught me that as long as you are by people who care about it you, anywhere can be your home,” said Milliken. "You get those moments where you go to a new place and you meet people and connect with people and you get that sense of family."
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.
“Working on the P-8 has allowed me to evolve my knowledge as a technician with an ever growing aircraft,” said Milliken.
Serving in the Navy means Milliken 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, Milliken is most proud of fixing the plane that identified ISIS forces.
“We later found out that that flight was able to put eyes on those ISIS forces which would eventually be cleared out,” said Milliken. "We helped free that area and that's why you join the military, not just to help America, but to help the world."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Milliken 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 continuing the tradition of service in my family,” said Milliken. "I've had family members in every American conflict since the revolution."