SASEBO, Japan – A Lowell, Michigan, native and 2016 Lowell High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy with the forward-deployed unit, Naval Beach Unit 7.
Seaman Apprentice Kaitlyn German is a boatswain's mate operating in Sasebo, Japan.
A Navy boatswain's mate is responsible for maintaining the exterior surfaces of the ships, deck handling and equipment, handling cargo, and operating small boats.
German is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Lowell.
“Growing up in Lowell you learn how to work with a close-knit community, and that applied to my Navy career because we have to work with each other to accomplish the mission,” said German.
German’s most rewarding accomplishment so far is graduating second in her class in 'A' school and receiving a certificate as a distinguished military graduate.
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 August of 2012, Naval Beach Unit 7 was formed to combine the three forward deployed naval forces detachments in Japan.
Personnel from the command are responsible manning and operating either the landing craft—such as the landing craft air cushion or the landing craft utility—or manage landing operations from the beach.
NBU 7 landing craft serve an important function for the Amphibious Force 7th Fleet in being able to move personnel and equipment from ship to shore.
“Being forward deployed is new for me and it's exciting to experience a new culture,” said German. “The best part of being in the Navy is traveling, getting to know new people, and bettering my life.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, German 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 means helping out others and doing something greater with my life and helping my country,” said German.
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.