Powder Springs Native Serves with the U.S. Navy Half a World Away

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach 

SASEBO, Japan – A Powder Springs, Georgia, native and 2013 Hillgrove High School graduate is serving in Japan in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Germantown.

Ensign Troy Thompson is the communications officer aboard the ship operating out of Sasebo, Japan.

Thompson is in charge of all network and external communications on the ship. He is responsible for the proper planning, managing, and executing of all the communications department evolutions. He is also responsible for the proper operation, maintenance and repair of electronic communications equipment and systems on the ship. 

Thompson is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Powder Springs.

“I learned from my hometown the importance of teamwork. I also learned to respect others,” said Thompson. “We were a tight knit community. We were big into sports so there was a competitive atmosphere. We pushed each other to become to be better at whatever we were doing.”

Thompson thus far has had the opportunity to lead his department of twelve sailors. He feels fulfilled as a leader. He is also most proud when he and his team successfully pass inspections on their equipment and training. He believes that teamwork is the most important tool to be successful in supporting the mission.

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.

Commissioned in 1986, Germantown is the second Navy ship named after the Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown. With a crew of more than 900 sailors and Marines, Germantown is 609 feet long and weighs approximately 16,000 tons. Designed specifically to operate landing craft air cushion small craft vessels, Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships have the largest capacity for these landing craft out of any U.S. Navy amphibious ship.

“We are at the tip of the spear being deployed here in Japan, we have to constantly be ready, be prepared. It’s a higher operational tempo so it forces me to adjust to things faster,” said Thompson. “It’s a good thing though because it demands the best out of you, you have to be on your P’s and Q’s.”

Sea duty is inherently arduous and challenging but it builds strong fellowship and esprit de corps among members of the crew. The crew is highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches, and drills.

“Since being in the Navy I’ve become more selfless. I understand the ramifications from my actions now will affect others more so if I wasn’t in the Navy,” said Thompson. “The Navy’s taught me to multitask, to balance different responsibilities.”

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Thompson and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy has made me feel like I’m part of something bigger that myself. It’s given me the opportunity to change for the better,” said Thompson. “Serving means that I have the opportunity to be the molder of the America I want to see. It also allows me to represent my country.”

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.