Navy Office of Community Outreach
SAN DIEGO – A 2009 Kenwood Academy High School graduate and Chicago native is serving aboard the WWII namesake warship, USS Spruance.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Tony Johnson is an electronics technician aboard the San Diego based ship, a guided missile destroyer.
As an electronics technician, Johnson is responsible for leading other sailors who perform maintenance on all radar navigation, as well as internal and external communication equipment aboard the ship.
Johnson has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
More than 300 Sailors serve aboard the ship, and their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission ready at all times, according to Navy officials.
Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. They are about 510 feet long and can be armed with tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, variants of the SM missile family, advanced gun systems and close-in gun systems. Destroyers are deployed globally and can operate independently, as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, or amphibious readiness groups.
Spruance is armed with long range missiles intended for air defense to counter threats to friendly forces posed by manned aircraft, anti-ship, cruise and ballistic missiles.
It was commissioned in 2011 and named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. He was a key naval commander during WWII, leading U.S. naval forces during two of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: Battle of Midway and Battle of the Philippine Sea. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
At Midway, Spruance scored the first major victory for the United States over Japan; generally considered to be the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
“USS Spruance is responsible for 22 mission areas, with 350 people onboard each Sailor actively supports multiple missions, said Cmdr. Joshua Menzel, commanding officer of Spruance. “As a member of the Pacific Fleet, the crew of USS SPRUANCE patrol the same waters and trains to perform the same missions as the Sailors Admiral Spruance commanded during WWII.”
Johnson has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My cousin is currently serving as an aviation ordnanceman in the Navy,” he said. "I got his perspective of what to expect before I decided to join myself. There is a sense of camaraderie between the two of us sharing Navy experiences."
Johnson’s proudest accomplishment is his daily work.
“I'm proud of the work we do day-in and day-out to grow as a division and further our own career opportunities,” he added.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Johnson and other Spruance sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“Serving in the Navy means protecting my loved ones, knowing that they can sleep easily at night,” said Johnson. "When we leave port and and face the threats to our country, our loved ones don’t have to worry about a thing because they can rest easy knowing that we’re here to protect them."