By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Los Angeles native and 2011 Summit High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Victor Gonzalez is a boatswain’s mate aboard the forward deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. Antietam is one of three cruisers forward-deployed in Yokosuka.
A Navy boatswain's mate maintains 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.
“I was raised to be humble and to respect people which I got mostly from both of my parents which helps me in my Navy career,” said Gonzalez.
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 little brother, Anthony, is in the Navy and he motivated me to join the Navy and now we motivate and support each other,” said Gonzalez. “One opportunity that I’m proud of is when I crossed the equator in 2015 in my first week of being on deployment. I knew that there was a huge tradition with crossing the equator. There were high ranking sailors who were in the Navy for many years who hadn’t crossed the equator yet and I was there alongside them. This made me proud.”
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“One thing that I like about serving in the Navy is that I learned to be more responsible and how to be a better leader,” added Gonzalez.
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.