Photo By Public Affairs Office | During R.I. Army National Guard Officer Candidate School in August, 2nd Lt. Jimmy Li,...... read more read more
Newport, RI — Systems engineer Jimmy Li, of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department, spends his working hours installing signal systems on U.S. Navy submarines. On some weekends and deployments with the R.I. Army National Guard, Li addresses signal systems used by the Army.
Hired at Division Newport in August 2016, as the technical insertion (TI)-18 install coordination lead of the BLQ-10 system, Li ensures the complete installation of the electronic warfare support system for U.S. submarines that provides automatic intercept capabilities for both radar and communications signals.
In 2020, Li completed R.I. Army National Guard Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, signal corps officer, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 1st Division, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment in Providence, Rhode Island.
Li completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning and Advance Individual Training at Fort Gordon, both in Georgia. Upon completion of initial entry training, he was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in September 2018 before deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
When he redeployed home, Li transferred to the 169th Military Police Company as a communications team chief until he was accepted into OCS in March 2019.
Li, who received bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and in Chinese from the University of Rhode Island. lives with his wife Joanna in West Warwick, Rhode Island. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor adventures such as hikes with his dog, Bear, camping and fishing.
Li recently talked about his service:
Q: What is a typical weekend of Guard service like?
A: Training, which is one weekend a month, typically begins on Friday night with an operations order (OpOrd) briefing to the cadre. An OpOrd consists of five topics that are briefed to a subordinate unit to conduct an operation. The platoon leader assigned to the drill weekend is evaluated on the OpOrd brief to the cadre. The remainder of the weekend includes classroom learning or field exercises. Topics include military justice, tactics, history and administrative items.
Q: What is your most notable exercise?
A: In 2015, I was selected to be part of the Black Hawk demonstration at the R.I. National Guard Open House and Air Show. We demonstrated a tactical insertion of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), commonly known as the Humvee, and soldiers into the field. Two HMMWVs were first airlifted via Black Hawks and dropped off in the middle of the tarmac. Then we were dropped off and formed a security perimeter around the Black Hawks. Once the Black Hawks departed, we moved to the HMMWVs and drove them off the tarmac.
Q: Why did you sign up for the Guard?
A: Originally, I joined the Guard to help pay for school. Finishing school without any student loans to repay definitely gave me a good start in life after college. I’ve stayed in the Guard because I like to see how far I can push myself and the Guard challenges me to determine my physical and mental limits. It also provides many opportunities I most likely would not have had as a civilian. I have shot various different types of weapon systems, flown in Black Hawk helicopters, and seen remote places in the world that civilians would not normally visit. My military career is still young and I look forward to what else it has to bring.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone interested in reserve duty?
A: If you’re looking to serve and still want to keep a normal life at home, the National Guard is the place to be. You will get to meet many different people with different backgrounds in the Guard. There are accountants, teachers, mechanics, engineers, police officers and students. It is amazing to interact with all these different people and see how they have brought their own unique skillset to accomplish the mission of the Guard.
NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2021 15:33 |
| Story ID: | 387559 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Hometown: | WEST WARWICK, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 149 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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