Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan – A Monterey Park, California native and 2013 San Marino High School graduate is serving in Japan in the U.S. Navy aboard one of the forward-deployed mine countermeasures ship, USS Chief.
Seaman Victor Lee is a logistics 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 logistics specialist is responsible for managing inventories of repair parts and general supplies that support ships, squadrons, and shore-based activities. They procure, receive, store and issue material and repair components. They utilize financial accounting and database systems to perform inventory and financial management functions.
“The best part of being here is the people you meet from all different walks of life, it’s great,” said Lee.
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, Chief is 224 feet long and weighs approximately 1,300 tons. Chief 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 minesweeper 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.
“The Navy has made me more confident in my ability to perform the tasks that have been given to me and it’s also a learning experience,” said Lee.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Lee and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving the Navy proves to myself that I am a true patriot like it says in the Navy motto, always ready, and I definitely stand by that,” said Lee.
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 logistics specialist is responsible for managing inventories of repair parts and general supplies that support ships, squadrons, and shore-based activities. They procure, receive, store and issue material and repair components. They utilize financial accounting and database systems to perform inventory and financial management functions.
“The best part of being here is the people you meet from all different walks of life, it’s great,” said Lee.
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, Chief is 224 feet long and weighs approximately 1,300 tons. Chief 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 minesweeper 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.
“The Navy has made me more confident in my ability to perform the tasks that have been given to me and it’s also a learning experience,” said Lee.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Lee and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving the Navy proves to myself that I am a true patriot like it says in the Navy motto, always ready, and I definitely stand by that,” said Lee.
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.