NORFOLK, Va. – A 2009 Tallwood High School graduate and Virginia Beach, Virginia, native is serving aboard USS Nitze (DDG 94), one of the world’s most versatile multi-mission combat ships.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Noonan is a cryptological technician aboard the Norfolk-based ship, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, that is longer than 1.5 football fields long at nearly 510 feet long. The ship is 66 feet wide and weighs more than 9,200 tons. Twin gas turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 30 mph. USS Nitze is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Paul Nitze, who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon B. Johnson and as chief arms control adviser in the administration of President Ronald Reagan.
As a 23 year-old with numerous responsibilities, Noonan said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. “I strongly believe that the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment should be part of any profession,” said Noonan.
He also said he is proud of the work he is doing as part of the Nitze’s 315-member crew, protecting America on the world’s oceans. “We operate anti-ship missile defense systems to protect our ship and the rest of our group,” explained Noonan.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard USS Nitze. Approximately 31 officers and 284 enlisted men and women make up the ship's company, which keeps all parts of the destroyer running smoothly — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines.
"I am proud and amazed by the knowledge they display and the work my Sailors do every day," said Cmdr. Michelle Nakamura, the ship’s commanding officer. "Many very young people, some with only months of experience in the Navy, stood ready to sail and fight our ship in any situation. They performed exceptionally each and every day of our seven-plus month deployment and they continue to excel here at home. Their professionalism, motivation and commitment to the Navy are genuinely inspiring.”
Fast, maneuverable, and technically advanced, destroyers provide the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute multi-mission evolutions such as surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-air warfare. USS Nitze can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most versatile combat ships, Noonan and other USS Nitze sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
"I take a lot of pride in my work," said Noonan.
"Why Being There Matters"
On our planet, more than 70 percent of which is covered by water, being there means having the ability to act from the sea. The Navy is uniquely positioned to be there; the world's oceans give the Navy the power to protect America's interests anywhere, and at any time. Your Navy protects and defends America on the world's oceans. Navy ships, submarines, aircraft and, most importantly, tens of thousands of America's finest young men and women are deployed around the world doing just that. They are there now. They will be there when we are sleeping tonight. They will be there every Saturday, Sunday and holiday this year. They are there around the clock, far from our shores, defending America at all times.
Thank you very much for your support of the men and women in U.S. Navy, deployed around the clock and ready to protect and defend America on the world's oceans.
For more Navy news, please go to Navy News Service.