Photo By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson G. Brown
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Seaman Joshua Weeks, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native was inspired to join the Navy by his father who served in the Navy as an information systems technician. Because of that, he traveled a lot as a kid and wanted to continue to see new places as he grew older.
“The challenging part is working in the heat and the exciting part is going out in town and trying the food and interacting with people,” said Weeks.
Weeks, a 2013 home school graduate, is a master-at-arms at NSA Bahrain, forward-deployed to the Arabian Gulf region in the Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet.
“We provide installation security for Naval Support Activity Bahrain,” said Weeks.
Weeks credits success in Bahrain, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Charlotte.
“I had a good friend who had joined the Army and motivated me to do something with my life,” said Weeks. “I did not need to sit around and do nothing.”
U.S. 5th Fleet directs naval operations to ensure maritime security and stability in the Central Region, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean. They work with partner nations to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in international waterways.
NSA Bahrain enables the forward operations and responsiveness of U.S. 5th Fleet and allied forces in support of Navy Region Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia's mission to provide services to the fleet, warfighter and family.
“We are anti-terrorism warriors and standing our post is very important to this base because there are people who want to try and infiltrate us,” said Weeks. “We stay vigilant and mission-ready.”
The Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of ocean, and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprised of 20 countries, includes three critical choke points; the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
“This is my first command and I am used to things the way our area is run,” said Weeks. "The way things are set up on the base has been tough to adjust to, but it gives me more confidence to do the job."
Serving in the Navy means Weeks is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Weeks is most proud of being qualified above what is required of his pay grade to Chief of the Guard and Reaction Force.
“It has allowed me to take on responsibilities greater than my peers of the same rank,” said Weeks.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Weeks and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing the Navy the nation needs.
“I am able to be both physically and mentally challenged,” Weeks said. “Serving has helped me become a more confident person for when I transition out of the Navy.”