By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller,
Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2010 Woodside High School
graduate and Newport News, Virginia native is serving in the U.S. Navy
aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenisha Woodruff is a hospital corpsman aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
As a Navy hospital corpsman,
Woodruff is responsible for providing health care to sailors aboard the
ship. She serves as pharmacy technician, medical technician, nurse’s aide,
physician’s or dentist’s assistant. She also provides first aid and minor surgery, patient transportation,
patient care, prescriptions and laboratory work.
“Growing up my parents were very involved in the community
and always willing to help people," said Woodruff. "That’s why I decided to go into the
medical field.”
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.
“Both my parents are prior Army, and the way they carry
themselves effectes me in my career today. The majority of my family served in different
branches the military at different times. I feel like I’m carrying on the
family tradition serving in the Navy,” said Woodruff. “I served on the United
States Naval Ship Comfort, a hospital ship that treated over 15,000 people during my six-month deployment. It made me appreciate many things I
take for granted, including healthcare. It was a very humbling and
enlightinging experince. I feel like I’m a better person having gone through
that.”
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and
quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“I feel good knowing that I’m serving and giving back," added Woodruff. "Being part of something bigger, I believe
I have a purpose and helping people impact their lives in a positive way,
which in turn impacts my life in a positive way.”
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.