By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan- A Bremerton, Washington, native and 2012 Central Kitsap High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka (USNH Yokosuka), Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Sasebo.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Truman Elder is a hospital corpsman serving with BHC Sasebo, operating out of Sasebo, Japan.
A Navy hospital corpsman is responsible for the prevention and treatment of disease and injury, assisting health care professionals in providing medical care to personnel, conducting preliminary physical examinations, and maintaining treatment records.
Elder is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Bremington.
“My family was in the military growing up so I learned how to make friends fast and maintain that friendship,” said Elder. “It’s easy in the Navy because we are living in a tight-knit community.”
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 Sasebo is part of that long-standing commitment, explained Navy officials.
BHC is a branch health clinic of USNH Yokosuka. Yokosuka and Sesebo together are the largest U.S. military treatment facilities on mainland Japan. Branch health annexes are located at Camp Fuji and Hario, while Branch health clinics are located in Iwakuni, and Atsugi in mainland Japan; Chinhae, Korea on the southern tip of South Korea; and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
“You make a difference every day,” said Deputy Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Joey Dodgen. “We are the most prepared, highly trained and the most capable force in the Indo Pacific. Our carriers, amphibious assault ships, aircraft and most importantly, our people, are ready today to face regional challenges and lead our Navy’s forces in this theater, just as the officers and Sailors of 7th Fleet have done for 75 years. So thank you for all that you do.”
The hospital provides all medical, dental, and emergency services. BHC Sasebo strives to be the premier provider of healthcare to active duty forces and their families in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region through Joint Partnerships.
“I love being stationed here because I’m able to explore Japan,” said Elder.
Elder is also proud of his job as the medevac coordinator. He has the ability to call for the evacuation of military or other casualties to other hospitals in a helicopter or airplane. He feels a sense of duty to get people the right care that they need.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Elder 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 adaptability, discipline, and leadership being in the Navy,” said Elder. “I enjoy being with this command because of the opportunities it provides.”
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.