By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
(Photo/courtesy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Teddy Quintana)
San Diego, Calif. – Petty Officer 1st Class Evan Trombley, a 2001 Algonquin Regional High School graduate and Northborough native, is currently serving on one of the world’s largest warships, USS Carl Vinson.
Trombley is a cryptologic technician (collection) aboard the San Diego-based ship, the third Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and one of only 11 operational aircraft carriers in the Navy today.
As such, Trombley is responsible for supplying signals intelligence for warfare commanders on the ship.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Vinson. Approximately 3,000 men and women make up the ship’s company, and they keep all parts of the aircraft carrier running. They do everything from preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the nuclear reactors. Additionally, another 2,000 sailors comprise the air wing. These are the people who fly and maintain the aircraft embarked aboard the ship.
Trombley has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“I learned to treat everyone how they wanted to be treated. And playing high school sports taught me teamwork and helped me adjust to the military lifestyle,” he said.
Vinson, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 60 attack fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea.
Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship, and those planes land upon their return to the aircraft carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft. All of this makes Vinson a self-contained mobile airport and strike platform, often the first response to a global crisis because of an aircraft carrier’s ability to operate freely in international waters anywhere on the world’s oceans.
The ship was commissioned in 1982 and named after former Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson. A member of the United States House of Representatives for 50 years, he was for 29 years the chair of the House Naval Affairs and Armed Services Committee. Vinson was the principal sponsor of the so-called “Vinson Acts,” culminating in the Two-Ocean Navy Act of 1940, which provided for the massive naval shipbuilding effort in World War II.
“Carl Vinson was a visionary congressman,” said Capt. Douglas Verissimo, commanding officer of USS Carl Vinson. “His support led to a stronger Navy that was pivotal in winning World War II and the Cold War. Our sailors embody his commitment to service and bring to life a warship that has been an enduring asset to America’s defense for more than 35 years.”
Trombley has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather was in the Merchant Marines as a fuel supply runner during WWII,” he said. “It’s important to carry on the tradition of serving my country and living with a purpose.”
Trombley’s proudest accomplishment was being stationed in Afghanistan and receiving an Air Force Commendation medal.
“I received a commendation medal for supporting different military branches and ensuring everyone got home safe. I was monitoring SEAL and Army Ranger teams to help them do their job,” he added.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Trombley and other Vinson sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“Serving in the Navy means earning my freedom for my country and helping people live out their freedoms,” said Trombley.