By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Pensacola, Florida native and 2005 Woodham High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam.
Chief Petty Officer (select) Darrell Shelton, who was recently selected for the rank of Chief Petty Officer is an operations specialist 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 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.
“To be humble and to stand up for what you believe in is what I learned from my community and that manners are instituted in us at a very young age,” said Shelton.
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.
“Being forward-deployed here in Japan the operations tempo is always high because we’re always going out to sea, so it can be challenging,” said Shelton. “I received two Navy and Marine Core Achievement Medals for end of tours on recent deployments because we always have the opportunity to contribute to something."
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“Joining the Navy means providing a better way of life for myself and my family,” added Shelton.
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.