Fox Chapel grad aids nation's nuclear deterrence mission

A 2000 Fox Chapel High School graduate and Pittsburgh native in the Navy supports the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Angelo Woodrow is a Navy equipment operator serving with Strategic Communications Wing One, a versatile command capable of consisting of three Navy squadrons and a Wing staff that employs more than 1,700 active-duty sailors and 100 contractors to provide maintenance, security, operations, administration, training and logistic support for the E-6B Mercury aircraft fleet.

Woodrow is responsible for advising and mentoring 45 sailors to make sure they are getting what they need to succeed in the Navy.

Woodrow credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Pittsburgh.

“I learned adaptability and how to relate to a lot of different people,” said Woodrow.

The mission stems from the original 1961 Cold War order known as ‘Take Charge and Move Out!’ Adapted as TACAMO and now the command’s nickname, today, the men and women of TACAMO continue to provide a survivable communication link between national decision makers and the nation’s nuclear weapons.

The commander-in-chief issues orders to members of the military who operate nuclear weapons aboard submarines, aircraft or in land-based missile silos. Sailors aboard TACAMO E-6 Mercury aircraft provide the one-of-a-kind and most-survivable communication needed for this critical mission.

“I like the fact that serving here is giving me a chance to better understand the aviation field,” said Woodrow.

The Navy’s presence aboard an Air Force base in the middle of America may seem like an odd location given its distance from any ocean; however, the central location allows for the deployment of aircraft to both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico on a moment’s notice. This quick response is key to the success of the nuclear deterrence mission.

“I like knowing we are the last line of defense and everything we do is preparing us to perform when it counts the most,” said Woodrow. “Also, we are working every day to keep America safe.”

Sailors serving from America’s heartland take pride in the vital mission they support as well as the nuclear deterrence they help provide.

“Serving in the Navy means everything,” said Woodrow. “Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to join the Navy.”