By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2003 Baton
Rouge High School graduate and Baton Rouge, Louisiana native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue
Ridge.
Petty Officer 2nd Class
David White is an electronics technician aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy electronics
technician manages preventive and corrective maintenance on electronic
equipment. They maintain, repair, calibrate, tune, and adjust electronic
equipment while utilizing test equipment and technical drawings for Command,
Control, Computer, Communication, and Intelligence (C4I) systems, cryptographic
systems, radar systems, and navigation systems.
“The most valuable lesson
I learned is from my mom and grandmother and that is to respect everyone, which
has always helped me throughout life, especially life in the Navy,” said
White.
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 United States 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."
USS Blue Ridge serves as
the flagship for the U.S. Seventh Fleet. It is one of only two U.S. Navy
command ships in the world, providing command and control for fleet commanders.
Forward-deployed sailors
are crucial to the success of the global Navy mission and earn high praise from
their leaders.
“My uncle served in the
Army and what he taught me was perseverance and hard work,” said White. “That has helped me a lot because
things here can get difficult you just have to put in that little extra push
and good things will happen. I received the Blue
Jacket of the Quarter award which feels great to be recognized for my hard work.
It motivates me to be a better sailor."
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“Joining the Navy has been a huge accomplishment and has
provided me with so many opportunities,” added
White. “Serving is a way to give back to
the people back home, to my country, and to the Navy.”
Sailors play a vital role
in the overall military mission around the world.
"The U.S.-Japan alliance
remains the cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific
region," said Harris.