{"id":52331,"date":"2021-10-18T14:59:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T21:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/kent-native-serves-as-a-member-of-u-s-navys-silent-service\/"},"modified":"2021-10-18T15:10:14","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T22:10:14","slug":"kent-native-serves-as-a-member-of-u-s-navys-silent-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/kent-native-serves-as-a-member-of-u-s-navys-silent-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Kent native serves as a member of U.S. Navy’s ‘Silent Service’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jerry Jimenez<\/em><\/p>\n

Navy Office of Community Outreach<\/em><\/p>\n

A Kent native is serving aboard USS Pennsylvania, one of the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarines.<\/p>\n

Petty Officer 1st Class Jacob Massie serves as a missile technician and joined the Navy to follow in the family footsteps.<\/p>\n

“My dad and my grandpa were in the Navy, so I thought about joining too,” Massie said.<\/p>\n

Massie is a 2010 graduate of Kent-Meridian High School. Today, Massie uses skills and values similar to those found in Kent.<\/p>\n

“I learned how to study and learn,” Massie said. “It helped me know how to make things more interesting for myself to learn.”<\/p>\n

These lessons have helped Massie while serving aboard USS Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

Known as America’s “Silent Service,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.<\/p>\n

There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles.<\/p>\n

Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes. As a member of the submarine force, Massie is part of a rich 121-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.<\/p>\n

Serving in the Navy means Massie 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.<\/p>\n

“The Navy provides strategic deterrence and a safety net from foreign adversaries,” Massie said.<\/p>\n

With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.<\/p>\n

Strategic deterrence is the nation’s ultimate insurance program, and for decades Naval Submarine Base Bangor in Washington has been home to Ohio Class ballistic-missile submarines. Beginning in 2028, the new Columbia Class ballistic-missile submarines will arrive and provide continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s.<\/p>\n

Massie and other sailors have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.<\/p>\n

“I’m most proud of our boat successfully conducting the Follow on Commanders Evaluation Test,” Massie said. “It was the 51st time that the Navy has completed this. It’s a test to verify that the Trident II D5 weapons system functions properly.”<\/p>\n

As Massie and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions to support national defense, they take pride in serving their country in the Navy.<\/p>\n

“It means doing the job that isn’t easy,” Massie said. “It brings me satisfaction training junior sailors to take my place or to make it easier to get work done.”<\/p>\n

Jerry Jimenez is a Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class with the U.S. Navy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Petty Officer 1st Class Jacob Massie serves aboard USS Pennsylvania submarine <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":52332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,4],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-52331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52331"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=52331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}