GROTON, Conn. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Layne McGinnis, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32 at Naval Submarine Base New London.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Green, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
As a submariner, McGinnis is part of a small percentage of Navy personnel who serve under the sea to help ensure Americans’ safety.
McGinnis graduated from Benson High School in 2022.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Omaha.
“Growing up, I learned that if you’re going to be dumb, you’ve got to be tough,” McGinnis said. “If you make a mistake in the Navy, you get yelled at, but you need to be able to take it as a slap on the wrist. Don’t take it personally and move on. As a mechanic on submarines, it’s very stressful a lot of the time, but if you make a mistake, you just have to move on.”
McGinnis joined the Navy three years ago. Today, McGinnis serves as a machinist’s mate (non-nuclear, submarine auxiliary).
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t want to go to college and didn’t have the money,” McGinnis said. “I looked into the Air Force, but the recruiter didn’t call back. The Navy was on top of everything and really wanted me.”
SRS 32 centralizes administrative and support functions, economizes resources and provides a common pool of experts who provide complete functional support to operational submarines homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London, pre-commissioning unit crews at Electric Boat shipbuilding facility and maintenance period units at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
Known as America’s “Apex Predators,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technologically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security. A major component of that maritime security is homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London, known as the “Submarine Capital of the World.”
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines, ballistic-missile submarines and guided-missile submarines.
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 Virginia-class fast-attack submarine is the most advanced submarine in the world today. It combines stealth and payload capability to meet Combatant Commanders’ demands in this era of strategic competition.
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. They are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles. The Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine produced by the U.S., replacing the current Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines to ensure continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s.
Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each guided-missile submarine is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.
Strategic deterrence is the nation’s ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a member of the submarine force, McGinnis is part of the rich 125-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 U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
McGinnis has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of getting my 'fish' [submarine warfare pin],” McGinnis said. “It wasn’t easy being on a dry-docked boat that had no systems. I had to learn entirely from maintenance manuals.”
McGinnis serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy helped me kickstart my adult life,” McGinnis said. “I was in boot camp a month after graduating high school, and being able to live on my own and deal with my own problems definitely made me grow up faster. My friends back home still have part-time jobs and are still caught up in high school drama, and I’m 22 hours away doing this. You really see how much more mature the military makes you.”
McGinnis is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my family, because without them I probably wouldn’t have joined,” McGinnis said. “They pushed me. Having grandparents who were in the military helped me know what to expect. My grandfathers on my mom’s side were Air Force, my great-grandfather was in the Navy and my cousin was in the Army.”
McGinnis will be leaving the Navy soon, but has plans for a future after military service.
“I plan to study to become a diesel mechanic or automotive technician,” McGinnis added.