Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan – An El Paso, Texas, native and 2016 Burges High School graduate is serving in Japan in the U.S. Navy aboard one of the forward-deployed mine countermeasures ship, USS Pioneer.
SASEBO, Japan – An El Paso, Texas, native and 2016 Burges High School graduate is serving in Japan in the U.S. Navy aboard one of the forward-deployed mine countermeasures ship, USS Pioneer.
Seaman Jorge Robles is a culinary specialist aboard the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship, operating out of Sasebo, Japan. The ship routinely deploys to protect alliances, enhance partnerships, and be ready to respond if a natural disaster occurs in the region.
A Navy culinary specialist is responsible for operating kitchen and dining facilities, budgeting for food service management, and ensuring morale aboard the ship.
Robles is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of El Paso.
“My father always told me to do what you feel, never follow,” said Robles. “This helps me today to keep my composure, to be disciplined.”
Robles thus far is proud of his job as a culinary specialist on the ship. He recently prepared food and a cake for a chief ceremony. He was congratulated for his hard work. He felt proud to be noticed for doing his job well and for being a part of something big.
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.
With a crew of more than 80, Pioneer is 224 feet long and weighs approximately 1,300 tons. Pioneer is one of the Navy’s 11 Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships that are designed to neutralize mines from vital waterways and harbors. There are four minesweepers in Sasebo as part of the forward-deployed mine countermeasures force that are on-call to respond in the event of a mine-clearing operation in the Indo-Pacific.
MCMs in Sasebo routinely operate with allies and partners to build mine countermeasures proficiency and sustain our alliances.
“I enjoy being forward deployed,” said Robles. “I get to learn a lot about my job as well as learning a lot about people. There’s a lot of good people that I would never have met if I weren’t here. The Navy has helped me realize that I’m more capable than I thought I was. I also don’t procrastinate like I used to. It’s made me a better worker overall.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Robles 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 proud of being part of something bigger than myself,” said Robles. “I want to make my grandparents and brothers and sisters proud.”
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.
A Navy culinary specialist is responsible for operating kitchen and dining facilities, budgeting for food service management, and ensuring morale aboard the ship.
Robles is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of El Paso.
“My father always told me to do what you feel, never follow,” said Robles. “This helps me today to keep my composure, to be disciplined.”
Robles thus far is proud of his job as a culinary specialist on the ship. He recently prepared food and a cake for a chief ceremony. He was congratulated for his hard work. He felt proud to be noticed for doing his job well and for being a part of something big.
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.
With a crew of more than 80, Pioneer is 224 feet long and weighs approximately 1,300 tons. Pioneer is one of the Navy’s 11 Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships that are designed to neutralize mines from vital waterways and harbors. There are four minesweepers in Sasebo as part of the forward-deployed mine countermeasures force that are on-call to respond in the event of a mine-clearing operation in the Indo-Pacific.
MCMs in Sasebo routinely operate with allies and partners to build mine countermeasures proficiency and sustain our alliances.
“I enjoy being forward deployed,” said Robles. “I get to learn a lot about my job as well as learning a lot about people. There’s a lot of good people that I would never have met if I weren’t here. The Navy has helped me realize that I’m more capable than I thought I was. I also don’t procrastinate like I used to. It’s made me a better worker overall.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Robles 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 proud of being part of something bigger than myself,” said Robles. “I want to make my grandparents and brothers and sisters proud.”
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.