By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA – A Los Angeles native and 2005 Daniel Murphy Catholic High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy forward-deployed aboard the guided missile destroyer, USS Barry.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jericho Espinosa is an electronics technician aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer 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 Navy electronics technician is responsible for the operation of a ship’s electrical power generation systems.
Espinosa is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Los Angeles.
“In Los Angeles, I learned never to give up,” said Espinosa. “When a part needs to be fixed I understand the importance of it getting fixed.”
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.
“Being out to sea with my shipmates and the camaraderie we share is the best part about being forward deployed,” said Espinosa.
Espinosa is also proud of recruiting 200 sailors in the Navy and helping them shape their lives like the Navy shaped his.
Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. They are 510 feet long and armed with tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, Standard Missile-3 and newer variants of the SM missile family, advanced gun systems and close-in gun systems. Destroyers are deployed globally and can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, or amphibious readiness groups. Their presence helps the Navy control the sea. Sea control is the precondition for everything else the Navy does. It cannot project power, secure the commons, deter aggression, or assure allies without the ability to control the seas when and where desired.
USS Barry has anti-aircraft capability armed with long range missiles intended for air defense to counter the threat to friendly forces posed by manned aircraft, anti-ship, cruise and tactical ballistic missiles.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Espinosa 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 means the world to me,” said Espinosa. “It continues to shape who I am and has helped me mature to the person I am today.”
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.