Naval Careers
Naval
Officer Shines Below and Above Sea
SAN
DIEGO — Officially, Eduardo Fernandez Jr. holds the job title of submarine
navigator in the Navy. In plain language that means he guides a 6,900-ton,
nuclear-powered submarine through the depths of the world’s oceans using
only maps, sonar, and data sent from satellites.
By Jason Emerson
Fernandez is a Navy lieutenant and a crew member of the U.S. submarine
Portsmouth. He holds a key job aboard the Portsmouth, namely, picking
a safe route for the submarine to follow wherever it goes. This route
must allow the Portsmouth to stay hidden and silent, invisible to all
ships, planes, satellites, and other submarines. The Portsmouth is a
Los Angeles Class attack submarine.
Although the U.S. submarine force has come under more attention in
books, movies and the media over the last 20 years, the missions of
Navy fast-attack and guided missile submarines are kept in the strictest
secrecy.
When not on one of these classified missions, the 32-year- old Fernandez
works in Point Loma, Calif., about 10 miles north of downtown San Diego,
where the Portsmouth docks.
“The Navy has provided me with an extremely challenging job that I
can take pride in, and an opportunity to work with some of the most
dedicated and motivated individuals in the country,” he said.
An attack submarine’s basic uses include hunting and destroying enemy
ships and submarines during war, gathering intelligence from other nations
while staying submerged near their shores, and putting special forces
units, such as Navy SEAL teams, within reach of an enemy’s shore. Submarines
also play a vital role in striking enemy targets hundreds of miles inland
using Tomahawk cruise missiles. Since Operation Desert Storm in the
Persian Gulf, submarines have been responsible for 25 percent of all
Tomahawk missile launches.
Fernandez’s parents, Eduardo Sr. and Gloria, live in Encinitas, which
lies in north San Diego County. Fernandez graduated from Encinitas’
San Dieguito High School in 1984.
Fernandez joined the military 12 years ago. According to his wife,
Cristin, Fernandez first went in the Army, switching services soon after.
In 1990, he graduated from California State Polytechnic University with
a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering. Afterward, he received
a Navy commission.
Fernandez next did a tour on the Los Angeles Class submarine Topeka.
The Navy considers submarine duty among its most arduous tasks, mainly
because a U.S. submarine can remain underwater for weeks or months at
a time. Submariners such as Fernandez go through physical and psychological
testing to make sure they can cope while on long voyages underwater.
After serving on the Topeka, Fernandez went to shore duty in the Midwest,
where he recruited engineering officers for the Navy. He excelled while
recruiting in the Kansas City area, and in 1997 he earned the Engineering
Officer Recruiter of the Year award.
His time as a recruiter over, he next went to the submarine school
in Groton, Conn., to become a navigator. Fernandez excelled again, earning
the David Lloyd Award by graduating at the top of the submarine officer
advanced course. Since June of 1998, he has been the navigator on the
Portsmouth.
Fernandez says his family has played a big role in his success in the
Navy.
“My parents stressed the importance of hard work and education while
I was young. They also encouraged me to be successful in all activities
I engaged in,” he said.
Fernandez takes pride in his Hispanic heritage, and says many Hispanic
Sailors should be made more aware of their history and culture.
“Not very much attention has been given to the achievements Hispanics
have been responsible for in the U.S. Navy. Articles and exposure in
periodicals will educate others in the contributions they make to the
Navy,” he said.
Excellence in a different part of the Navy, a part that stays above
water.
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