Irving native supports Super Hornet demonstration team

 Millington, Tenn.—Petty Officer 2nd Class Rosa Dea, a native of Irving, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, which operates the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, nicknamed the “Rhino.”

 Dea is a 2017 graduate of MacArthur High School.
 
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Irving.

 “The lessons I learned from my hometown that I still use today is to always be open to new adventures," Dea said.
 
Dea joined the Navy to find an adventure outside of her hometown.

 Today, Dea serves as an aviation structural mechanic responsible for maintaining and repairing aircraft utility systems and safety equipment.
 
The mission of the Rhino demonstration team is to share the rich heritage of naval aviation and display the hard work and dedication of U.S. Navy service members to the public.

 The Super Hornet is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world, according to Navy officials. The aircraft take off from and land aboard Navy aircraft carriers at sea and are capable of conducting air-to-air combat as well as striking targets on land.
 
Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces. For more than 100 years, they have projected power, sustained sea control, bolstered deterrence, provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and maintained enduring commitments worldwide. USS John C. Stennis is longer than three football fields at 1,092 feet. The ship is 252 feet wide and weighs more than 100,000 tons. More than 5,000 sailors serve aboard these self-contained mobile airports.

 According to Navy officials, aircraft carriers are versatile and have unique mission capabilities that make them a more strategic asset for the Navy than fixed-site bases. They are often the first response in a global crisis because of their ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans. In addition, no other weapon system can deploy and operate forward with a full-sized aircraft carrier’s speed, endurance, agility and combat capability of its air wing.

 The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.

 According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”

 With 90 percent 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.

Dea serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security. 

 Dea has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

 “I accomplished two deployments and ranked up when the opportunity arose,” Dea said. 

 Dea can take pride in serving America through military service. 

 “To me, the Navy means a place with many opportunities, and your experience is what you make it out to be,” Dea said.

 Dea is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
 
“I'd like to give a shoutout to my mom, sister, and my stepdad," Dea said. "They are the reason I will always have a place to call home."

SOURCE Navy Office Of Community Outreach