By Mass
Communication Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
Photo by Senior
Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2013 Tesoro
High School graduate and Orange County, California native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue
Ridge.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jordan Kirk-Johnson is a mass communication specialist aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy mass
communication specialist is responsible for photo journalism and public
affairs for the Navy. Kirk-Johnson tells the Navy's story in creative ways
using the latest media technology.
“The way my parents raised
me made it easy to transition into the military—with respect, discipline and
humility," said Kirk-Johnson. "This makes interacting with sailors of different ranks a lot better.
I work on treating others the way I want to be treated every day.”
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 grandparents
serverd in the military. One of them was a video journalist in the Air Force
and was killed in action during World War II. When I graduated high school my
dad took me to visit his memorial and showed me his name on the wall. That one
event inspired me to have more respect for the position I hold,” said Kirk-Johnson. “A
pivotal moment in my Navy career was the time I rescued a sailor who fell
overboard while we were in port in Hong Kong. Everything associated to that event
was a testimony to the character of the sailors who helped me. It inspires me
to do my best every day and continue to make the people I serve with proud.”
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I’m so grateful for the
opportunity to serve," added Kirk-Johnson. "At my young age, the Navy has allowed me to see many interesting
places and work with many people from different backgrounds that I’d never have
the opportunity otherwise. Learning how to better lead, serve and interact with
other sailors is my biggest takeaway.”
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.