By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan- A Hanford, California, native and 2014 Hanford West High School graduate is serving U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka (USNH Yokosuka), Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Sasebo.
Hospitalman Roman Sotelo 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, performing medical administrative, supply and accounting procedures, and maintaining treatment records and reports.
“The best part about being a hospitalman is learning all of the cool medical stuff,” said Sotelo. “This place is perfect as my first command and introducing me to the Navy because it’s a small and tight-knit community.”
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 feel like serving overseas is a great opportunity to get to know places outside the United States,” said Sotelo.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Sotelo and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"The Navy has given me direction in my life,” said Sotelo. “I wouldn’t have went to medical school without the help of the Navy. Serving means I am able to protect my family and everyone that lives in the United States, regardless of where I am.”
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.