By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller,
Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2016 Edwardsville High School
graduate and Edwardsville, Illinois native is serving in the U.S. Navy
aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Seaman Shelby Thompson is an operations
specialist aboard
the forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka,
Japan.
A Navy operations specialist is responsible for operating
and maintaining radar, navigation and communications equipment aboard the ship.
“My dad served as a Marine," said Thompson. "The self discipline he
taught me growing up really helped in my transition into the Navy.”
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.
“I’ve had
some experiences that many people back home will never have the opportunity to
do," said Thompson. "Hiking Mt. Fuji is an awesome experience. It's pretty incredible being half
a world a way and telling my friends back home happy birthday 14 hours early. The one thing that makes
me most proud about myself is that I signed on the dotted line and joined the
Navy. This forced me out of my comfort zone and
I’m so glad I did it."
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly
motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“Serving in
the Navy means pride to me," added Thompson. "I've always been
raised with a patriotic mindset and not many people in the world can say they
served in America’s Navy. It’s an honor to be part of something I feel so
pationate about.”
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.