As AET2 at air station, Hurley following in dad’s footsteps

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U.S. COAST GUARD EDITION, The Daily Advance , Frida y, July 31, 2020

As an aviation electrical technician, Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Hurley both works on aircraft and serves as a member of a flight crew. Whether he’s part of a crew transporting people during hurricanes or assisting with a searchand-rescue mission, Hurley said he finds his work purposeful.

Photo courtesy US Coast Guard

As AET2 at air station, Hurley following in dad’s footsteps

Ever since Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Hurley was a young boy, he knew he wanted to make a difference in the world. He also wanted to be like his dad. Hurley fondly recalls watching his father prepare for work as an avionics electrical technician in the U.S. Coast Guard. Born in Kodiak, Alaska, Hurley would spend the majority of his youth in Camden, after his father was transferred to Base Elizabeth City. Following in his father’s footsteps Hurley joined the Coast Guard and now, at age 27, Hurley has been an avionics electrical technician since 2015. After joining the Coast Guard, Hurley attended basic training at Cape May, New Jersey. He also spent time in Maine before returning to Air Station Elizabeth City. Hurley’s duties at the air station include “troubleshooting and fixing any electrical discrepancies on aircraft,” he said. As an AET2, Hurley both works on aircraft and serves as a member of a flight crew. Whether he’s part of a crew transporting people during hurricanes or assisting with a search-and-rescue mission, Hurley said he finds his work purposeful. Hurley recalls one mission where a small plane crashed in the ocean. He was a member of an aircrew that flew to the plane’s last known position. Using a high-tech camera and radar, the crew was able to locate the plane that was still floating in the water. Because those onboard the crashed plane did not have any means of communication, Hurley’s crew made sure they were OK and then dropped them a radio and supplies. Hurley’s crew also contacted a nearby vessel, which

BY ANNA GOODWIN MCCARTHY Correspondent

was able to divert to the crash site and take aboard the plane’s passengers. All people on the plane survived the crash, Hurley said. After the mission was over, the people rescued from plane took everyone from the Coast Guard involved in the rescue, including Hurley, out to dinner. Those are the kinds of experiences Hurley says he knew he wanted to have when he joined the Coast Guard. As a mission systems operator instructor, Hurley also helps instruct other members of the U.S. Coast Guard. He looks forward to his time spent training others and sharing his knowledge of aircraft components. Hurley said one of the best parts about being stationed at Base Elizabeth City is having the opportunity to take part in missions along the East Coast. For example, Hurley was able to participate in a 10-day mission in Canada with the International Ice Patrol. “We track and monitor icebergs,” he siad. The patrol’s missions help vessels using international shipping lanes avoid the dangers of striking an iceberg. Being stationed at the air station is like returning home for Hurley. Hurley said he met his wife while they were both in high school nearly a decade ago. At that time he lived in Camden and she lived in Elizabeth City with her family and her father, too, was also a member of the Coast Guard. The couple have two children — a 3-year-old and one-year-old — and currently live in Kitty Hawk. Hurley said his young son already has a uniform, and he looks forward to him continuing the family tradition by joining the Coast Guard.