By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – An Apopka, Florida native and 2015 Acceleration Academy West High School graduate
is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile destroyer, USS Curtis
Wilbur.
Seaman Kaitlyn Dyer works
in the deck department aboard
the forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer operating out
of Yokosuka, Japan. Curtis Wilbur is one of eight destroyers forward-deployed
in Yokosuka.
A sailor in the deck department maintains and preserves the exterior
surfaces of the ship, handles deck machinery and equipment, handles mooring
lines, handles cargo, operates small boats, and takes part in various
evolutions such as search and rescue and underway replenishment.
“One value that I learned from
my parents was to be honest with myself and others and to be more responsible which goes along way in the Navy,”
said Dyer.
With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third
of the world's crude oil passing through the region, the U.S. has historic and
enduring interests in this part of the world.
"Our alliance is rooted in shared interests and shared
values," said Adm. Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command.
"It's not hyperbole to say that the entire world has benefited from the
U.S.-Japan alliance. While our alliance helped stabilize the region after the
Second World War, it also enabled the Japanese people to bring about an era of
unprecedented economic growth. And for the last six decades, our Soldiers,
Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have worked side by side with the
Japan Self Defense Force to protect and advance peace and freedom."
Approximately 300 men and women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are
highly specialized and keep each part of the ship running smoothly, according
to Navy officials. They do everything from maintaining gas turbine engines and
operating the highly sophisticated Aegis weapons system to driving the ship and
operating small boats.
Forward-deployed sailors are crucial to the success of the global Navy
mission and earn high praise from their leaders.
“I didn’t find out until after
I joined the Navy that my grandfather had served in the Army. I felt a special
connection with him,” said Dyer. “Being stationed here in
Japan is hard work but joyful because I like experiencing new things and
learning new cultures."
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt
to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“Serving in the Navy means that
I can support the people back home who aren't
are able to serve or help themselves,” added Dyer.
With the ability to conduct anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare
and anti-surface warfare, destroyers are capable of sustained maritime
operations supporting forward naval presence, maritime security, sea control,
deterrence of aggressive actions on U.S. partners around the globe, as well as
humanitarian assistance. Fast, maneuverable, and technically
advanced, destroyers provide credible combat power, at and from the sea.