A Pittsburgh-area native is halfway around the world, serving aboard one of the most advanced nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in the U.S. fleet.
Seaman Seanlou Gilmore is serving on board the USS Santa Fe. The 2014 McKeesport High School graduate is a yeoman in the Navy and takes care of the paperwork and documents on the sub.
Channel 11 spoke to Gilmore from the Santa Fe's home port in Pearl Harbor.
"I chose to serve in the U.S. Navy because of my brother," Gilmore told Channel 11. "My brother was able to support the country. I wanted to do the same thing, for him and my Mom."
Gilmore and a crew of about 130 sailors spend months at a time underwater in the Santa Fe, living in tight quarters.
"It's a thing to remember. You get this brotherhood that you'll never forget," he said.
Still, he added his family back home is always in his heart.
"The city of Pittsburgh means a lot to me. It's where I'm from. It's a beautiful place. All of the bridges and connections that take you Downtown, it's just a beautiful place," he said.
Gilmore admitted it's the encouragement he gets from the Pittsburgh area that keeps him going, and driven to represent Western Pennsylvania, the Navy and his country.
"You always want support from your family back home. You're in an area where you're not from and you're not comfortable in, and you're out here by yourself," he said. "The support I get from home is very important. I just want to thank you all."