By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2005 Lake
Shore High School graduate and St. Clair Shores, Michigan native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue
Ridge.
Petty Officer 1st Class
Dylan Rich is a hospital corpsman aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy hospital
corpsman is responsible for the prevention and treatment of disease and
injury, assisting health care professionals in providing medical care to
personnel, conducting preliminary physical examinations, performing medical
administrative, supply and accounting procedures, and maintaining treatment
records and reports. They also act as food, water, and sanitation inspectors.
“Growing up as a child and working with my dad he taught me good work ethic and persistence ” said
Rich. “This has helped me succeed 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.
“I was recognized for my contributions with the joint
service exercise called Pacific Partnership where I received a Navy and Marine
Corps Achievement medal,” said Rich. “It felt good to be appreciated but I had
more pride in knowing that I had a positive impact on partner nations and their
public health programs.”
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I serve for my country
because I recognize that you have to sacrifice for your freedom and I am happy
to do my part and to serve for the best country in the world,” added Rich.
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.