Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Heidi Cheek
SAN DIEGO – A Kokomo, Indiana, native and 1994 Taylor High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island.
Sharpless credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Kokomo.
“My father's side of the family has a long line of military service,” said Sharpless. “I always felt like it was my calling to follow them into the military and serve.”
Makin Island, one of the Navy’s most advanced and largest amphibious ships, is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts.
The ship, which resembles a small aircraft carrier, is longer than two football fields at 847 feet, is 106 feet wide and weighs more than 41,000 tons fully loaded. It has gas turbine engines and two variable speed electric motors that can push the ship through the water in excess of 20 knots. It can carry more than 12 helicopters and six fixed-wing aircraft.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Makin Island. More than 1,000 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weaponry to maintaining the engines. An additional 1,700 Marines can be embarked. It is capable of transporting Marines and landing them where they are needed via helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and landing craft.
“Makin Island is one of the most advanced warships on the waterfront, but she’s nothing without her crew,” said Capt. David Oden, commanding officer of Makin Island. “They’ve proved themselves time and time again, and their level of professionalism and dedication is second to none.”
These amphibious assault ships project power from the sea serving as the cornerstone of the amphibious ready group. Makin Island was delivered to the Navy in April 2009 and is the first U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship to be equipped with both gas turbines and auxiliary propulsion system instead of steam boilers.
These ships support special operations and expeditionary warfare missions, transporting U.S. Marines from sea to shore through a combination of aircraft and water landing craft. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.
Sharpless has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather served in WWII and my father was in Vietnam,” said Sharpless. “Both of them served in the Army. Now that I am in the Navy, it means carrying on traditions, especially as a chief.”
Sharpless has found many great rewards in the Navy, and is particularly proud of earning a Navy Commendation Medal while serving on USS Carl Vinson.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Sharpless and other Makin Island sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.
“Now that I am a chief petty officer, serving in the Navy is about taking care of my sailors and pointing them in the right direction,” added Sharpless. “I have to train them to be the best mechanics they can be. It means mentoring them so they can develop into well-rounded sailors. I really see them as my own children at times.”