SAN DIEGO – Airman Matthew Ingram, a native of Topeka, Kansas, serves in the U.S. Navy in San Diego, California.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne |
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to learn how to work on an aircraft,” said Ingram. "That's worked out for me."
Ingram joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Ingram serves with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron EIGHT (HSC 8) in San Diego, working with one of the Navy’s most advanced helicopters, the MH-60S Seahawk.
Growing up in Topeka, Ingram attended Seaman High School and graduated in 2013. Today, Ingram uses the same skills and values learned in Topeka to succeed in the military.
“I was a musician before joining the Navy,” said Ingram. "I play the drums. As a musician I made my own schedule and had to find my own opportunities. The Navy is very structured, so I've been able to take my past experiences and build on them through the Navy."
Navy pilots and aircrew at HSC 8 constantly train to ensure they are prepared for peacetime and warfighting missions. The mission set of the MH-60S includes anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, vertical replenishment, logistics support, personnel transport, humanitarian disaster relief, medical evacuation, support to Naval Special Warfare and organic airborne mine countermeasures. MH-60S helicopters are also equipped with the ability to conduct replenishments at sea, search and rescue missions and enable other operations for the carrier strike group.
Serving in the Navy means Ingram is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus, rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy contributes to national security by defending our borders,” said Ingram. "We also are a large deterrer. We haven’t had a conflict on American soil for a long time. We've been able to stave off larger conflicts through deterrence. Being the largest Navy in the world has really kept our country safe."
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 fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Ingram and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“This is my first command,” said Ingram. "I got here three weeks ago, but I feel like I've already done a lot. When I graduated boot camp I had earned the Shipmate Award. When I finished Accession training (A school) I graduated at the top of my class. That allowed me to sign a contract for Accelerated Advancement. So, in the near future I will be advanced in rank to third class petty officer."
As Ingram and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“I didn't realize until I joined the Navy how much of a family lineage I had in the military,” added Ingram. "My dad was an Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam. My grandpa was a sailor who, like me, served in San Diego. That makes me very proud. I'm also happy to be a part of something that makes me a better person. I've learned technical skills, training and management. I also get to be a part of something greater. It’s an honor to serve my country."