By Mass Communication Specialist Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Pearland, Texas
native and 2014 Pearland High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard
the guided missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville.
Petty
Officer 2nd Class Samuel Lopez is
an operations specialist 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 operations
specialist is responsible for operating the communications, radar, and
navigation equipment that tracks ships, aircraft, and enemy missiles and then
communicates tactical information to supervisors and other operators.
“I learned from my dad that
you should always be friendly and make
connections with people which I found helps me succeed better in life, especially
in the Navy,” said Lopez.
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 dad influenced me to become the person I am today because he taught me
how to be a better leader and taught me to treat people with respect which is
helpful being in the Navy,” said Lopez.
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“Serving in the Navy gives me a great sense of pride,” added Lopez.
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.