By Mass Communication Specialist Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Staten Island, New York native and 2011 Susan E. Wagner High School graduate is serving
in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville.
Petty
Officer 3rd Class Hing Leung Tsang
is a culinary 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 culinary specialist is
responsible for providing nutritious food to
sailors aboard the ship by operating the kitchen and dining facilities. They
also track food inventory with record keeping.
“I learned that to lead others you lead by example and to treat others with
respect because they will learn to respect you,” said Tsang. “These are the values I learned from my
parents.”
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.
“I received the Culinary Specialist of the Quarter award for assisting
with providing food service on the barge to two other commands as well as our
own command,” said Tsang. “It feels good to be recognized.”
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I’m proud to be part of the biggest and best Navy in the world,”
added Tsang.
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.