PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – A 2005 Milton High school graduate and Milton, Fla. native is part of a select crew; protecting and defending America aboard the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Cardona is an electronics technician aboard Mississippi, one of the Virginia-class submarines based at the Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“I enjoy the opportunity my job gives me to learn new things,” said Cardona.
Mississippi, commissioned in Pascagoula, Mississippi in 2012, is longer than a football field at 377 feet and can sail under the waves at more than 30 mph.
Mississippi, like all attack submarines in the Navy’s fleet, can carry out an array of missions on the world’s oceans in defense of America.
“The Navy’s attack submarines are at the forefront of the nation’s war fighting capabilities,” said Cmdr. Tory Swanson, commanding officer, USS Mississippi. “Our primary missions include hunting enemy submarines and surface ships, launching cruise missiles at enemy targets far inland, and covertly delivering special operations forces to the fight.”
Because of the demanding nature of service aboard submarines, sailors like Cardona are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation that can last several months. The crews have to be highly motivated, and adapt quickly to changing conditions.
“I am in charge of the instrumentation and the protective features of our nuclear reactor so we can move the boat forward,” said Cardona.
In peacetime, our stealth allows us to observe the activities of potential adversaries,” said Swanson. “Nuclear power and the ability to make our own water and oxygen give our submarines unmatched endurance, allowing us to deploy anywhere in the world’s oceans, unseen, and remain there as long as necessary.”
The training is demanding, as the crew needs to be ready to respond to any kind of situation that may arise while at sea and endure long periods of time submerged deep below the surface of the ocean.
“While Mississippi has some of the most advanced technology in the world, submarining remains a people business at the heart,” said Swanson. “Well-trained, well-disciplined professional Sailors are what bring the ship to life. When we go to sea, each of us entrusts our lives to the actions of every other crewmember. This requires an extraordinary amount of trust in each other. Those who wear the gold and silver dolphins signifying ‘qualified in submarines’ have demonstrated that they embody these high standards of personal integrity, accountability and responsibility. Working with people like this is why I became a submariner in the first place.”
The rigorous nature of submarine service is challenging, but Cardona enjoys it and believes it makes the crew tighter.
“I’m grateful for all the opportunities the Navy has given me to learn and grow as a person,” said Cardona. “I enjoy my job because it allows me the opportunity to learn everything there is to know in my field.”
Being an attack submarine sailor has meant spending a lot of time away from his friends and family, but Cardona believes in the work he is doing.
“During deployment we push the limits of a multi billion dollar boat and make it do things I never thought possible,” said Cardona.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton, Florida native serves aboard USS Mississippi