By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Garland, Texas native and 2016 Garland High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville.
Fireman Cylas Payne is a gasoline turbine mechanic 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 Navy gasoline turbine mechanic is responsible for anything to do with engines or gas turbine generators. They maintain propulsion machinery, including gears, shafting and related electrical and electronic circuitry.
“Growing up, my father taught me to work hard and never quit,” said Payne. "
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.
“Japan is an amazing place,” said Payne. “Being somewhere I've never been is an awesome feeling. The culture here is very different. The Japanese are humble and kind and will always help you out. I joined the Navy not just for myself but for my family. My grandfather served during the Vietnam War and before he passed away, he told me that before I look down upon this country, I should consider serving in the military first. Looking at it from that perspective, I have a lot of appreciation for the military in general.”
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“Serving in the Navy means being a part of something bigger, I never thought about being in Japan," added Payne. "Out of 896 graduates in my senior class, I was the only one to join the Navy. "
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 Phalanx close-in weapons systems.
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.