By
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert
Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo
by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A 2007 I.
E. Los Proceres High School, Peru graduate and Tucson, Arizona native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Blue
Ridge.
Seaman Nikky Vidarte 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.
“My uncle was like a dad
to me and gave me advice about every aspect in life," said Vidarte. "I remember in bootcamp he
sent me a letter and I will remember it for the rest of my life because it had
such a huge impact on my life. I felt purpose and this motivated me to finish
bootcamp and it still motivates me today.”
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 uncle served in the Marines
and encouraged me to join the Navy because he thought it would help me succeed
in life,” said Vidarte. “I am striving for my enlisted surface warfare and my
information dominance warfare qualification pins, which gives me motivation and
confidence to achieve other qualifications."
Sailors serving abroad in
Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained
Navy officials.
“I want to serve in the
Navy and be part of something bigger,” added Vidarte. “I feel like the Navy and
country has provided me so many opportunities and this is my way to give back.”
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.