By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A Temple, Texas native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue
Ridge.
Petty Officer 2nd Class
Ryan Kerby is a fire controlman aboard the
forward-deployed amphibious command ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy fire controlman
operates and performs maintenance on digital computer equipment, weapon
direction systems, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface control missile
systems, and gun fire control systems.
“I learned from friends and family back home that you
treat everyone with respect and this has influenced me while being in the Navy,”
said Kerby.
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 brother is in the Navy
and we motivate each other and give each other advice,” said Kerby. “One of my biggest accomplishments is being appointed the
leading petty officer of my division because this has given me confidence to
become a better leader."
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I serve in the Navy
because it gives me the opportunity to do more for my life and for others,”
added Kerby.
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.