LEMOORE, Calif. - Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Petty Officer 1st Class Philip Burlock, this story has ties to St. Petersburg, Florida, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink |
“Growing up in Pinellas County exposed me to a wide variety of people and ways of living,” Burlock said. “Stark contrasts exist between people sharing zip codes in that area, but they also share common threads, more than just geographically, that build a sense of camaraderie. This sense of kinship despite differences is something that carries over to the Navy in every workplace, and which I value highly.”
Burlock graduated from Seminole High School in 2014.
Burlock joined the Navy seven years ago.
“My father served in the Navy and set an example that I wanted to follow,” Burlock said. “I also wanted to establish a solid future for myself and represent the United States positively.”
Today, Burlock serves as an air traffic controller assigned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore.
NAS Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing. More than half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft reside here, and it is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II.
Carrier strike groups and the embarked aviation squadrons are the cornerstone of U.S. naval power projection and sea power. They can quickly maneuver thousands of miles with the world’s most capable warships and top-notch sailors, remaining on station in areas of interest without relying on land bases or overflight agreements. U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are the most adaptable, lethal and survivable airfields in the world and their presence serves as the most credible commitment to our allies and partners.
Naval aviation provides the Navy and our nation with a flexible, adaptable, and lethal force to preserve peace, respond in crises and win decisively in combat. The U.S. Navy maintains and operates more than 2,000 aircraft to fulfill various mission sets in order to preserve the American way of life and ensure freedom, security and 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.
Burlock has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My proudest accomplishment in the Navy so far has been making petty officer first class and being designated tower supervisor,” Burlock said. “Most of the Navy stuff I’ve accomplished feels like a day at work, but advancing and getting tower supervisor are milestones that not everybody gets and that I had to work hard for.”
Burlock serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
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. More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/
“Serving in the Navy means having an opportunity to make as much of myself as I’m willing to work for, and to be able to represent something greater than myself,” Burlock said.
Burlock is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I’d like to send a shoutout to Joanne Cicmanec of the Kooky Coconut in Indian Rocks Beach,” Burlock said. “I worked there for four years before I joined the Navy and, no disrespect to my chiefs, but she’s still the best boss I’ve ever had. That job gave me tools that I use today as a sailor and an air traffic controller.”
Burlock related being an air traffic controller to working in the kitchen of the Kooky Coconut.
“Cooking in that kitchen is kind of the same as being an air traffic controller,” Burlock said. “It’s a task management thing. If you see 18 orders on the board all at once, it’s easy to say, ‘I can sort everything out the way it should be,’ if you learn how to make the most efficient use of your time and triage things to get them out in the order they need to be. It’s the same with being an air traffic controller. If you have six flights check in back to back, they will all need different things, so you check in with them, cycle through, prioritize and task manage. It’s the same.”