GROTON, Conn. – A Chula Vista, California, native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Scranton, one of the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarines.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Zaivion Smith, a 2018 Olympian High School graduate, joined the Navy two years ago.
“I was planning on going to college but I decided to join the Navy instead and see what life experiences I'd gain by serving,” said Smith. “I also wanted to make my family proud.”
According to Smith, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Chula Vista.
“I experienced hardships like losing friends and moving into new environments,” Smith said. “When I started working, I had to learn how to balance that with other things going on in my life. I had to learn how to overcome a lot of obstacles and I feel like that helps me now.”
Known as America’s “Silent Service,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).
Fast-attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare.
The Navy's ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as "boomers," serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles.
Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.
As a member of the submarine force, Smith is part of a rich 120-year history of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile weapons platform, capable of taking the fight to the enemy in the defense of America and its allies.
“The Navy is a great line of defense and a way to deter forces that want to do us harm,” Smith said. “We want the American people to know they are being protected and that we don't let anyone get close enough to hurt them.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
“What our undersea forces accomplish every day is vitally important to our nation’s defense,” said Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, Submarine Forces. “Our Submarine Force is a critical part of worldwide maritime security, humanitarian assistance operations, and the nation’s advanced nuclear triad. Every day, our submariners are at the tip of the spear, forward deployed and ready - from the depths, we strike!”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Smith is gaining unparalleled leadership development experience and technical knowledge, while directly contributing to the Navy’s efforts to protect the homeland and ensure global stability.
“I'm able to ensure my friends, family, and everyone back home don’t have to worry about anything because they're protected by a great force at sea,” added Smith.