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Belmont native serves at world's largest naval communications station

Most Americans would agree that communication devices are a vital part of their lives. The same is true for the U.S. Navy. Instead of using smart phones and tablets, a group of sailors stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, use the most-advanced satellite and telecommunications equipment to share vital information with sailors deployed around the world.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Reyes, a 2013 South Point High School graduate and native of Belmont, North Carolina, is one of these sailors assigned to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific who provides these communication services.
Reyes credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Belmont.
“My hometown taught me the value of hard work,” said Reyes. “I took that lesson with me and apply it everyday while serving.”
As a Navy yeoman, Reyes is responsible for ensuring that our command's regulations and policies are up to date.
NCTAMS Pacific is the center of communications for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. They provide command, control, communications, computers and intelligence connectivity to Naval and Joint forces from San Diego to Singapore and beyond. NCTAMS Pacific is the largest naval communications station in the world, known as the “Pacific Voice of Command.”
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean.
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means that Reyes is serving in a part of the world that is taking on new importance 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.”
The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades. The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries and many U.S. allies.
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community and career, Reyes is most proud of earning two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
“I'm proud of receiving my two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals because it took months and years of hard and consistent work,” said Reyes.
If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/Telemundo Charlotte, public affairs manager, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com.

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