SAN DIEGO – Petty Officer 3rd Class Julian Barrera, a native of Turlock, California, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Scranton, a fast-attack submarine homeported at Naval Base Point Loma.
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| Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sean Furey, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
As a submariner, Barrera is part of a small percentage of Navy personnel continuing a 125-year tradition of service under the sea to help ensure Americans’ safety.
Barrera graduated from John H. Pittman High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Turlock.
“Serving a mission in New England for my church for two years really prepared me emotionally and mentally for being away from home,” Barrera said. “Our work schedule on the mission trip was from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., so I was only able to call my family maybe once a week. It gave me the emotional and mental fortitude I needed to be away from home for long periods. It got me ready for deployments and underways. Sports taught me a lot about work ethic and teamwork. I learned to work hard and not be ashamed of any task I have, because I know there’s no work that’s beneath me, and that I’m willing to do anything and have a positive attitude.”
Barrera joined the Navy nearly three years ago. Today, Barrera serves as a sonar technician (submarine).
“I joined the Navy because I felt like I was having a quarter-life crisis when I was turning 24,” Barrera said. “I really wanted to pursue a career that would invest in me as much as I would invest in them. I set goals for what I wanted, tried a few options, and the Navy checked all the boxes. I wanted an occupation that would pay for my schooling and would be something I could do for life if I wanted to. I wanted something that would give me pride at the end of the workday.”
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 support of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines, ballistic-missile submarines and guided-missile submarines.
Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines, like Scranton, have been the backbone of the submarine force for the last 40 years, with approximately 23 in service. 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.
Equipped with 12 Vertical Launch System tubes for firing Tomahawk cruise missiles, Scranton is only slightly longer than a football field at 360 feet long and 33 feet across at its widest point. Scranton is crewed by more than 140 enlisted sailors and officers.
Strategic deterrence is the nation’s ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a member of the submarine force, Barrera serves aboard a platform capable of bringing the fight to enemies in defense of America and its allies.
Barrera has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I felt really good about qualifying for my ‘Fish’ (Submarine Warfare Pin) in seven months and doing it without any sea time,” Barrera said. “I got it just in time for the Submarine Ball for the Navy’s 250th Anniversary. I was the only one pinned at the ball, and I was pinned by Rick West, a former master chief petty officer of the Navy. I was able to represent Scranton and enjoy the rewards of my labor.”
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
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.
“Serving in the Navy is an opportunity to be part of another team,” Barrera said. “It’s a place where I can really challenge myself and be someone I didn’t think I could be and do what I didn’t think I could do.”
Barrera is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my family for keeping me grounded when I get lost,” Barrera said. “They give me something to look forward to when I come back. I also want to thank my recruiter, Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear Power) 1st Class Waldman, for being really honest. I still keep in touch with him and give him updates. Finally, I want to thank my ‘A’ school instructor, Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st Class Gorman, who hyped me up a lot and helped me learn about sonar. I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to comprehend sonar, but he was a good, supportive instructor, and I was able to finish at the top of my class. Doing that allowed me to change the course of my career.”