By Dusty Good, Navy Office of Community Outreach
(Mayport, Fla.) – A 2014 East River High School graduate and Orlando, Florida, native provides key support as part of combat operations aboard LCS Squadron Two, stationed at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Torres serves as a yeoman responsible for administration duties.
Torres credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Orlando.
“Orlando is a melting pot,” said Torres. “So dealing with different people from different parts of the world helped my transition into the Navy.”
LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused- platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.
The ship’s technological benefits allow for swapping mission packages quickly, meaning sailors can support multiple missions, such as surface warfare, mine warfare, or anti-submarine warfare. Designed to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft, littoral combat ships are a bold departure from traditional Navy shipbuilding programs. The LCS sustainment strategy was developed to take into account the unique design and manning of LCS and its associated mission modules.
According to Navy officials, the path to becoming an LCS sailor is a long one. Following an 18-month training pipeline, sailors have to qualify on a simulator that is nearly identical to the ship. This intense and realistic training pipeline allows sailors to execute their roles and responsibilities immediately upon stepping onboard.
Torres is now a part of a long-standing tradition of serving in the Navy our nation needs.
“My mother had eight kids, and six of us joined the military,” said Torres. “Our family dedicated our lives to protect and serve our country. They owe my mom an award if you ask me.”
Torres said they are proud to be part of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times.
“My proudest accomplishment is going from E-1 to E-5 in two years,” said Torres. “It was never done by anybody else in my family so I was proud of that.”
Torres is playing an important part in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon capital assets, Torres and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
Serving in the Navy, Torres is learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through handling numerous responsibilities.
“The Navy gives me the chance to meet people from all over the world,” said Torres.
