By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan – An Escondido, California, native and 2012 Mission Hills High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy with Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo (CFAS).
Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Boyd is a master-at-arms serving with the security department at Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo, operating out of Sasebo, Japan.
A Navy master-at-arms is responsible for providing anti-terrorism and physical security force protection, while conducting law enforcement on Navy installations and assets.
“My father always told me to make sure to do my job to the best of my ability even if you may not enjoy something or agree with with something,” said Boyd.
Boyd often volunteers his time at local Japanese orphanages, spending time with children and playing games. Aside from just a career choice, the Navy has given him the opportunity to volunteer and help people.
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.
“Being deployed here makes me feel like a shield, like I’m protecting things that are most important to me,” said Boyd. “We keep ships and people secure. You don’t really think about it, but it’s an important job. Serving in the Navy has made me more responsible and it’s given me structure that I didn’t have before.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Boyd and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I like being a part of this command because of the camaraderie," said Boyd. "The chain of command is like family; they talk to us like we're on the same level.”
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.