By Lt. Robert Kearley, Navy Office of Community
Outreach Public Affairs
SASEBO,
Japan – A 2010 Pella Community High School graduate and Ankeny, Iowa native is
serving in Japan in the U.S. Navy aboard one of two forward deployed dock
landing ships, USS Germantown.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew
Senn is an information systems technician aboard the Whidbey Island-class dock
landing ship operating out of Sasebo, Japan.
A
Navy information systems technician is
responsible for serving as a technician on
radars, receivers, networks, servers, and all onboard computers.
“I like that my job requires problem solving, allowing
me to address a continued flow of technical concerns,” said Senn.
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.
Commissioned
in 1986, Germantown is the second Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship. This
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.
"Today’s sailors never cease to
amaze me with the energy and effort they give, particularly in the fast-paced
forward deployed Navy,” said Cmdr. Severn B. Stevens III, Commanding Officer of
USS Germantown. “Their endless dedication to excellence, while at work and on
liberty, makes me proud to be in command of Germantown and this crew.”
Germantown
sailors work rigorous hours filled with drills and training to assure that the
ship remains mission ready. Their efforts were recently validated by earning
the 2015 Battle Effectiveness Award with a clean sweep of all five Command
Excellence Awards.
“Forward deployed is, at any moment, being ready to be
out front in case of a natural disaster, security event, or anything else that
comes our way in the region,” said Senn.
Navy
officials explain that 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.
“Serving in the Navy has given me a new perspective on
life, knowing that in the big picture of things we're making a difference,”
added Senn.