SAN DIEGO – A Rancho Cucamonga, 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 1st Class River Gonzales-Hixon, a 2012 Etiwanda High School graduate, joined the Navy eight years ago.
“Service runs in my family,” said Gonzales-Hixon. "By joining the Navy, I get to follow in my family’s footsteps who have served before me."
According to Gonzales-Hixon, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Rancho Cucamonga.
“I grew up in a single-parent household,” said Gonzales-Hixon. "I always did my best to help my mom out in order to make her life easier. That taught me the importance of hard work and having a good work ethic, which are both things you need while serving in the Navy."
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, Gonzales-Hixon 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.
“Naval submarines contribute largely to our national security because we do underwater detection, surveys and feed information back to our fellow sailors in order to make sure the seas remain safe,” said Gonzales-Hixon.
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, Gonzales-Hixon 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 can support my family and support those who I love,” added Gonzales-Hixon. "It's about the bigger picture. Being on a submarine, not a lot of people know what we do, so it's cool to have the chance to serve my country while doing something different."