By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Temecula, California native and 2012 Great Oak High
School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser,
USS Chancellorsville.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Marczon Estrella is an operations 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 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.
“My parents taught me to be optimistic about everything and that has
helped me in the Navy because I believe that there’s always an answer to every
situation, you just have to work harder for it,” said Estrella.
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 was the first in my family to join the military but my friends and
family were really supportive in my decision of joining the Navy,” said
Estrella.
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt
to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“Serving in the Navy inspires me to be a great leader and to be a role
model for people back home,” added Estrella.
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.