By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan- A New Orleans native and 2015 Shoemaker High School, Kaileen, Texas is serving in the U.S. Navy forward-deployed aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Fireman Iszale Brooks is a machinist's mate 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 Navy machinist’s mate operates, maintains, and repairs ship propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment, and outside machinery such as the steering engine, hoisting machinery, food preparation equipment, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, elevators, and laundry equipment..
Brooks is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of New Orleans.
“My family taught me to hustle and work hard and grind," said Brooks. "It helps me get up in the morning and do my job to the best of my ability.”
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.
“It feels great to experience another country and cutlure,” said brooks.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, brooks and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"I have more discipline since joining the Navy," added Brooks. "I’m not a hothead anymore. I feel like I have something to lose now. The Navy has given me structure and character in life."
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.