By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A Hope Mills, North Carolina, native and 2016 South View High School is serving in the U.S. Navy forward-deployed aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Seaman Leah Blendu works in the deck department aboard the ship operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. The ship routinely deploys to protect alliances, enhance partnerships, and be ready to respond if a natural disaster occurs in the region.
A sailor in the deck department maintains and preserves the exterior surfaces of the ship, handles deck machinery and equipment, handles mooring lines, handles cargo, operates small boats, and takes part in various evolutions such as search and rescue and underway replenishment.
Blendu is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Hope Mills.
“I came from a small town which teaches me to be humble and proud of where you’re from,” said Blendu.
Moments like that makes it worth serving around the world ready at all times to defend America’s interests. 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. The Navy's presence in Yokosuka is part of that long-standing commitment, explained Navy officials.
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.
“Being deployed here is hard because you are away from family,” said Blendu. “You have to learn to make family where you don’t have it. I feel welcomed being a part of deck department because we are a close-knit group.”
Blendu is also proud of being a part of the preservation and maintenance of the flag ship.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Blendu and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"Serving in the Navy in a different country has taught me to have pride and carry myself in a certain way because we are representing our country," said Blendu. "I have learned teamwork and leadership and also a sense of selflessness from serving in my command. My favorite part of being here is that I can say that I can go into Tokyo whenever I want and see different temples and landmarks which the ordinary person can’t do.”
Seventh Fleet, which is celebrating its 75th year in 2018, spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. Seventh Fleet's area of operation encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 Sailors in the 7th Fleet.