By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan- A Fremont, California, native and 2013 Advance Path Academy High School graduate is serving U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka (USNH Yokosuka), Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Sasebo.
Hospitalman Albert Fuentez is serving with BHC Sasebo, operating out of Sasebo, Japan.
A Navy hospitalman 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.
Fuentez is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Fremont.
“My work ethic and the value of hard work are things that I apply to my Navy career,” said Fuentez. “I have learned to respect those more knowledgeable than me who are willing to share what they know. It’s important to trust the people you work with and to have your shipmates’ backs.”
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 Sasebo 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 like being forward deployed because I get to be around the beautiful warships,” said Fuentez. “I never was outside the country so I like that about being here.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Fuentez and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"I get to do something that I always wanted to do when I was a kid, not just being in the Navy, but being part of the medical field,” said Fuentez. “ It means I get to defend my family and keep the enemy at bay and not only that, I get to help people all over the world.”
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.