By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2011 Burnsville
High School graduate and Savage, Minnesota native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Petty Officer 3rd Class
Cole Lair is a machinist's mate aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy machinist's mate operates,
maintains, and repairs ship propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment, and
outside machinery such as the steering engine, hoisting machinery, food
preparation equipment, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, elevators,
and laundry equipment.
“My parents taught me the value of hard work and
responsibility,” said Lair. “At times things can get difficult in the Navy but
in the toughest times you have to take responsibility and get the job done.”
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.
“My grandfather served in
Army and he was all about serving people which has always stuck with me in the
Navy,” said Lair. “I received a captain's coin from a commanding officer on another ship for helping the command out with
volunteering on a working party. This motivates me now to work even
harder.”
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I serve in the Navy to follow an old and proud tradition
of serving my country because I feel like it is my duty,” said Lair.
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.