By Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class Tim Miller, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty
Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Temple,
Texas native and 2010 Temple High School graduate
is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam.
Petty Officer 2nd Class
Lakeya Westbrook
is a yeoman aboard the forward
deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser operating out of Yokosuka,
Japan. Antietam is one of three cruisers
forward-deployed in Yokosuka.
A yeoman performs administrative
and clerical work. They deal with protocol, naval instructions, enlisted evaluations, commissioned
officer fitness reports, naval messages,
visitors, telephone calls and mail.
“Growing up in a large family
I learned to work well with many different personalities and this directly
affects my day to day job," said Westbrook. "I love interacting with others."
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.
“My grandparents were in the
military as well as my cousins. Having this military family tradition impacted
my decision to join the Navy,” said Westbrook.
“I'm proud of the fact that I graduated top of
my class and advanced in my rate very quickly.”
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and
quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
"Volunteering and meeting new
people is important to me,” said Westbrook.
“Doing something for more than just myself and
knowing that I'm helping to make a bigger impact in the world is very
rewarding.
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.