By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2004 Richmond
High School graduate and Richmond, California native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Petty Officer 3rd Class
Andre Harris is an information systems technician aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy information systems
technician is responsible for operating and maintaining Navy global satellite
telecommunications systems, serving as admin on mainframe computers on local
and wide networks, implementing micro-computer systems, and serving as part of
the Information Dominance Corps and its mission of understanding adversaries
and gaining unmatched knowledge.
“When I was younger I
learned a lot from the people at the Black Firefighters Association which their
motto was ‘self discipline, academic achievement, community service’,” said Petty Officer Harris. “These are all traits that
help me advance in the Navy.”
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.
“Being forward deployed here is demanding because the
work is so fast paced and the culture is so different but I always put my trust
in God and stay positive," said Harris. "This is a valuable trait I got from my grandmother. Also, I was rewarded with a longer liberty for scoring with
the highest score on my last physical fitness assessment. It is great to be rewarded and recognized because that is what motivates
me to be a better sailor.”
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I serve for my country to
help protect my family back home,” added Harris.
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.