Official U.S. Navy website - Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Sonar Technician (Surface) First Class Petty Officer (SW/IUSS) Richard Cornish hails from Jacksonville, Fla. He graduated from Paxon School for Advanced Studies in Jun. 1999 and continued on to the University of Florida. Petty Officer Cornish enlisted in the United States Navy in Aug. 2001 and reported to Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. on Nov. 14, 2001. Upon completion of recruit training, Petty Officer Cornish transferred to Fleet Anti-submarine Training Command, San Diego, for STG "A" School, Basic Acoustic Analysis, AN-SQQ-89(V) 2, 4 Operations and MK-116 MOD 4 Fire Control System Technician C-School.

In Jan. 2003, Petty Officer Cornish reported aboard his first ship, USS Valley Forge (CG 50), homeported in San Diego. While aboard, Petty Officer Cornish was a part of a Middle Eastern Deployment and a Counter-Drug Operations South Pacific Deployment. During this tour, he attained his Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist, SONAR Supervisor and Combat Systems Officer of the Watch qualifications. Upon the decommissioning of USS Valley Forge (CG 50), he continued on to the USS Antietam (CG 54) and remained until Sept. 2007. He was aboard for two Middle Eastern Deployments and assumed the roles of CA-02 and CA-03 Workcenter Supervisor, Lead SONAR Supervisor and Condition I Combat Systems Officer of the Watch. Following his tour aboard USS Antietam (CG 54) he transferred to Naval Ocean Processing Facility (NOPF) Dam Neck in Virginia Beach, Va. He qualified as Tactical Coordinator and attained the Integrated Undersea Surveillance designation and served as the Command Training Leading Petty Officer (LPO). Following NOPF, he returned to Fleet Anti-submarine Training Command for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Journeyman Pipeline from 2010 to 2011.

In Aug. 2011, Petty Officer Cornish reported aboard USS McCampbell (DDG 85) for duties as CA-Division's LPO. He has served as the Anti-submarine Evaluator and Lead SONAR Supervisor during CSOFEX 2011, Valiant Shield 2012 and Keen Sword 2013, in addition to three theater anti-submarine warfare missions. He is currently serving as CM-Division LPO, Weapons Department LPO and President of the First Class Petty Officers Association.