TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - A Montgomery, Alabama, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission at Strategic Communications Wing One (STRATCOMMWING ONE). Its TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out") mission provides airborne communication links to nuclear missile units of U.S. Strategic Command.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anna-Liesa Hussey |
Petty Officer 1st Class Leslie Long, a 1989 Jefferson Davis High School graduate, joined the Navy 19 years ago.
“I needed a job,” said Long. "I was working dead-end jobs and I was looking at the classifieds section in the newspaper. I saw an ad, but it didn't say what it was for. It said something like: 'We provide the skills. We provide the tools.' I decided to give it a call. It turned out to be a Navy recruiter, and now I've been in for almost 20 years."
Today, Long serves as a mass communications specialist.
“My favorite thing about my work is that the job changes constantly,” said Long. "Every single command I have been to has been different."
Long uses skills and values similar to those found in Montgomery to succeed in the Navy.
“I was born and raised in the south,” said Long. "Southerners tend to be very polite people. I've carried that with me. That's been helpful to me during my time in the Navy. As they say: 'You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.'"
The Navy's presence aboard an Air Force base in the middle of America may seem like an odd location given its distance from any ocean; however, the central location allows for the deployment of aircraft to both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico on a moment’s notice. This quick response is key to the success of the nuclear deterrence mission.
The Navy command consists of a Wing staff, the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, and three Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadrons: The "Ironmen" of VQ 3, the "Shadows" of VQ 4 and the “Roughnecks” of VQ 7.
STRATCOMMWING One employs more than 1,300 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the Boeing E-6 Mercury aircraft fleet, an airborne command post and communications relay based on the Boeing 707.
Their mission stems from the original 1961 Cold War order known as ‘Take Charge and Move Out!’ Adapted as TACAMO and now the command’s nickname, the men and women of TACAMO continue to provide a survivable communication link between national decision makers and the nation’s nuclear weapons.
The commander-in-chief issues orders to members of the military who operate nuclear weapons aboard submarines, aircraft or in land-based missile silos. Sailors aboard TACAMO E-6 Mercury aircraft provide the one-of-a-kind and most-survivable communication needed for this critical mission.
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.
Serving in the Navy means Long is part of a team 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.
“The Navy contributes to the National Defense Strategy with our aviation assets and our ships,” said Long. "We're able to maintain a constant presence globally."
Long and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest Navy accomplishment is making it to retirement,” said Long. "I'm a lot older than many 20-year retirees. I'll be 51 when I retire. I came in at 31, so it has not been an easy road at my age."
As Long and other sailors continue to perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy. “Serving in the Navy means being a part of something bigger than myself,” added Long. "People join for different reasons. It doesn't matter what that reason is. We all serve and we all do our part."