By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
YOKOSUKA, Japan- An Ontario, California, native and 2012 Options for Youth High School is serving in the U.S. Navy forward-deployed aboard USS Blue Ridge.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Cervantes is a boatswain'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 boatswain's mate maintains and preserves the exterior surfaces of the ship and takes part in various evolutions such as search and rescue and underway replenishment.
Cervantes is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Ontario.
“I enjoyed living in Ontario but moving out here and joining the Navy, I’ve gained independence from my parents and have started a new life on my own,” said Cervantes.
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 forward-deployed makes me proud to help new people who are coming in and to be a positive role model for them,” said Cervantes.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Cervantes and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"I’ve learned how to be a better critical thinker and problems solver and I’ve become more outspoken while serving in the Navy,” said Cervantes. “I love being in the Navy and being a boatswain’s mate, doing things like anchoring the ship, pulling into ports, and doing underway replenishments. I love being underway and out to sea, that’s why I joined the Navy to be on a ship.”
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.