MAYPORT, Fla. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Bryan Doolittle, a native of Ridge Spring, South Carolina, is one of the sailors supporting Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPFR) missions at Tactical Operations Control Squadron 11 (TOCRON-11).
Doolittle graduated from W. Wyman King Academy in 2019.
“Growing up in Ridge Spring, I was taught to be resilient because nothing is given to you unless it’s earned,” Doolittle said. “My parents were loving but hard on us, as they didn’t believe in ‘gentle parenting.’ They believed life was going to hit you like a truck. I have my shortcomings, but I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior, and because of that faith, I know everything happens for a reason.”
Doolittle joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Doolittle serves as an operations specialist.
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t have any plans for college,” Doolittle said. “Education wasn’t as important to me as it should have been. While most of the kids I graduated with had plans, I didn’t have many options. My parents recommended that I do something that would give me more structure, and my mom said I should go into the military.”
TOCRON-11 serves as the information center for MPFR missions. Sailors serving at the command are tasked with coordinating, directing and commanding global anti-submarine warfare, intelligence and maritime surveillance operations. The command was established in 2020, and today, more than 150 sailors serve at the specialized squadron.
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.
Doolittle has had many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My biggest accomplishment is having a life to call my own,” Doolittle said. “As a man, accountability and responsibility are the big things for me. I can not only support myself, but also take care of and protect my wife and family.”
Doolittle serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“To serve in the Navy means every day I can wake up, put on this uniform and I can walk knowing I’m trying to help be a piece of what makes America even better than it is now,” Doolittle said. “We can always make room for improvement and be better.”
Doolittle is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my wife,” Doolittle said. “She doesn’t get enough thanks, but she puts up with a lot every day, including the late nights and multiple months I may be gone on deployment. No matter when I come back home, whether I’m gone for weeks or months, it always feels like home.”
Doolittle said joining the military was a good choice for him.
“If I could go back and had a choice to do anything I wanted versus the military, I would choose the military,” Doolittle said. “Not everyone needs to join the military, but it has given me a career, a future and a steady paycheck and the ability to figure out what I want to do when I ‘grow up.’”
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. For more information, visit: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeffrey Militzer |
Doolittle graduated from W. Wyman King Academy in 2019.
“Growing up in Ridge Spring, I was taught to be resilient because nothing is given to you unless it’s earned,” Doolittle said. “My parents were loving but hard on us, as they didn’t believe in ‘gentle parenting.’ They believed life was going to hit you like a truck. I have my shortcomings, but I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior, and because of that faith, I know everything happens for a reason.”
Doolittle joined the Navy seven years ago. Today, Doolittle serves as an operations specialist.
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t have any plans for college,” Doolittle said. “Education wasn’t as important to me as it should have been. While most of the kids I graduated with had plans, I didn’t have many options. My parents recommended that I do something that would give me more structure, and my mom said I should go into the military.”
TOCRON-11 serves as the information center for MPFR missions. Sailors serving at the command are tasked with coordinating, directing and commanding global anti-submarine warfare, intelligence and maritime surveillance operations. The command was established in 2020, and today, more than 150 sailors serve at the specialized squadron.
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.
Doolittle has had many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“My biggest accomplishment is having a life to call my own,” Doolittle said. “As a man, accountability and responsibility are the big things for me. I can not only support myself, but also take care of and protect my wife and family.”
Doolittle serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“To serve in the Navy means every day I can wake up, put on this uniform and I can walk knowing I’m trying to help be a piece of what makes America even better than it is now,” Doolittle said. “We can always make room for improvement and be better.”
Doolittle is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my wife,” Doolittle said. “She doesn’t get enough thanks, but she puts up with a lot every day, including the late nights and multiple months I may be gone on deployment. No matter when I come back home, whether I’m gone for weeks or months, it always feels like home.”
Doolittle said joining the military was a good choice for him.
“If I could go back and had a choice to do anything I wanted versus the military, I would choose the military,” Doolittle said. “Not everyone needs to join the military, but it has given me a career, a future and a steady paycheck and the ability to figure out what I want to do when I ‘grow up.’”
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. For more information, visit: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/