Topsham native says hometown lessons meant Navy success

By Erica R. Gardner
Chief mass communication specialist
Navy Office of Community Outreach

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – A Topsham, Maine, native who is serving at the U.S. Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific, says that much of the success he’s had in the Navy can be traced back to lessons learned in his Maine hometown.
Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Bongiorno, a 2003 Mount Ararat High School graduate, has served for 11 years and is a Navy electronics technician (submarine) serving within the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of operations.

The 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. Bongiorno is responsible for safety of the ship and ensuring the submarines are stealth, as well as all communication of the hull.
“I was taught to be kind and courteous, always greet others with a smile and always hold the door for the person behind you,” said Bongiorno.
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor means Bongiorno is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
Serving in the Navy is a continuing tradition of family military service for Bongiorno.
“My brother joined the Navy, and as a result I joined too,” said Bongiorno. “I joined because the Navy provided me the opportunity to a skill set and free tuition assistance, which enabled me to get my degree.”
According to Navy officials, supporting the high operational tempo and unique challenges of the submarine force builds strong fellowship and a strong sense of mission. As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Bongiorno and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“The Navy means sacrifice,” said Bongiorno. “Being in the submarine force is demanding work. The benefit is knowing that you are accomplishing a meaningful task and ensuring the safety of our country.”
America is a maritime nation and the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans, Navy officials said. 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; carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. Their primary tactical advantage is stealth, operating undetected under the sea for long periods of time.
Sailors learn engineering and tactical team training required to serve aboard submarines using the most advanced technology. Training is tailored to each ship’s specific needs to develop the skills and expertise required to support operations around the world in war and peace.
“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.

PHOTO: Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Bogiorno, of Topsham. (Rusty Pang, U.S. Navy mass communication spec. 1st Class, photo)