Hoffman native takes pride serving in Pearl Harbor
As the nation paused Wednesday to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago, the occasion had special meaning for a Hoffman Estates native who is serving in the U.S. Navy in the very location that drew the United States into World War II.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Duffield, a 2013 Fremd High School graduate, is assigned to the Navy's U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters.
According to Navy officials, the U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world's largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth's surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet consists of approximately 200 ships/submarines, nearly 1,100 aircraft, and more than 140,000 sailors and civilians.
Duffield is responsible for maintenance and operation of the sonar systems.
"I like that my job is often the focus of our missions," said Duffield. "We are the ones supporting the intelligence directives."
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means that Duffield is serving in a part of the world - the Pacific - that is taking on new importance in America's national defense strategy.
Pearl Harbor itself is home to more than 19,000 U.S. Navy sailors, 11 surface ships, 19 nuclear-powered submarines and 19 aircraft.
Although the world has changed greatly in the past 75 years, the Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades, and for good reason, Navy officials say.
The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries, and many U.S. allies.
Accordingly, the Navy is basing approximately 60 percent of its ships and aircraft in the region. Officials say the Navy will also provide its most advanced warfighting platforms to the region, including missile defense-capable ships; submarines; reconnaissance aircraft; and its newest surface warfare ships.
"There is a lot of history serving here," said Duffield. "You are a part of an elite group of Americans when you get to serve in a place with a story like Pearl Harbor."
"It's important for those of us serving in Pearl Harbor today to remember the sacrifice of those who served before us," said Admiral Scott Swift, Commander, U.S. Pacific fleet.
"The important work we do everyday honors those who were here 75 years ago and is a testament to the enduring value of our Navy's mission."