SAN DIEGO – A Garfield Heights, Ohio, 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 |
Seaman Adam Smith, a 2020 Garfield Heights High School graduate, joined the Navy one years ago.
“I joined the Navy to travel and secure a good financial future for myself and my family,” said Smith.
According to Smith, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Garfield Heights.
“Growing up in the inner city, I was taught to work for what I believe in,” said Smith. "Nothing is handed to you in life. In the Navy, from day one, you figure out that you have to work for everything. That makes each achievement more special because you know you really earned it."
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 contributes to national security by stepping up and ensuring we protect our freedoms,” said Smith. "We have to fight for what we believe in. I think the Navy is the most important branch because we have the most power, flexibility and travel capabilities of any branch."
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.
“To me, serving in the Navy means I get to see the bigger picture,” added Smith. "It's not about me. It's about the sacrifices I'm making to ensure that my parents and my little sister have a safe place to be. It's about providing for others."