KINGS BAY, Ga. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Raymond Carey, a native of Greenfield, Ill., serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS West Virginia at Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay. As a submariner, Carey is part of a small percentage of Navy personnel continuing a 125-year tradition of service under the sea to help ensure Americans’ safety.
Carey graduated from Greenfield High School in 2013.
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The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Greenfield.
“I gained an appreciation for travel and exploring many other options,” Carey said.
Carey joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Carey serves as a missile technician.
“I joined for the experiences, travel, and to follow in my family footsteps of military service,” Carey said. "My uncle was in the Air Force for 20 years, and my cousin was serving in the military when I joined. I also have other family members who served."
NSB Kings Bay is the homeport of East Coast ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines. These submarines are capable of conducting operations in the Atlantic, Arctic, Eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. NSB Kings Bay is also the only Navy base with the capability to support the Trident II missile, the most sophisticated nuclear missile designed to be launched from a submarine.
Known as America’s “Apex Predators!,” the Navy’s submarine force operates a large fleet of technologically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world, in furtherance of U.S. national security.
There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).
Fast-attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. The Virginia-class SSN is the most advanced submarine in the world today. It combines stealth and payload capability to meet Combatant Commanders’ demands in this era of strategic competition.
The Navy's ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as "boomers," serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles. The Columbia-class SSBN will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine produced by the U.S. - replacing the current Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines to ensure continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s.
Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.
Strategic deterrence is the nation’s ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a submariner, Carey is part of a small percentage of Navy personnel serving aboard a platform capable of bringing the fight to enemies in defense of America and its allies.
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% 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.
Carey has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I'm proud to be part of a team that deploys overseas to protect the ones I love back home,” Carey said.
Carey serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy allows me to support my family and have the ability to experience things few others get to do,” Carey said.
Carey is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my entire family for their support,” Carey added. "I want to send a special shoutout to my uncle for all the help he's provided me through the years. I want to especially thank my wife, Willow-Bay, for allowing me to come into her life and for supporting me in everything I do."
