By Mass Communication Specialist Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Carlyle, Illinois native and 2015 Carlyle High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the
guided missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville.
Seaman Colton
Krebs works for the deck department
aboard the forward deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser operating
out of Yokosuka, Japan. Chancellorsville
is one of three cruisers 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.
“What I learned from home
is that a good group of friends and family who
support each other can get you a long way in life,” said Krebs.
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."
Approximately 300 men and
women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are highly specialized and keep each
part of the cruiser 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.
“My grandfather served in the Army which influenced me in joining the
military and I thought the Navy, for me, was the best fit,” said Krebs.
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“What serving in the Navy means to me is being part of
something bigger than myself,” added Krebs.
A Navy cruiser is
a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger
group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with a vertical launching system,
tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns, and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
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.