Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Williams, a Trinidad, Texas, native, wanted to travel the world and be a part of something bigger than himself.
Now, five years later and half a world away at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Williams serves at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) / U.S. 5th fleet.
“Our operational tempo is very high, especially as a corpsman working with the Marines,” said Williams.
Williams, a graduate of Malakoff, is a Hospital Corpsman at U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.
“As a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy we are responsible for the health and well-being of all sailors, Marines and their families,” said Williams. “I have a specific job as a preventive maintenance technician, so I ensure our sailors and Marines, both ashore and afloat are medically ready to deploy at a moment's notice. I also help in the prevention of occupational and environmental hazards and infectious diseases.”
Williams is a part of Task Force 55, which controls surface forces, including U.S. Navy coastal patrol craft, cruisers and destroyers, and U.S. Coast Guard patrols boats, in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. They have a permanently assigned forward-deployed force consisting of 10 U.S. Navy coastal patrol ships and six U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats.
Williams credits success at U.S. 5th Fleet, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Trinidad.
“The lesson I have applied to my Naval career is from our head football coach,” said Williams. “He would always say ‘I'm in’ and when the individual came to the terms of being able to tell him that he ‘was in,’ that meant that he would go out there and give it everything he had not only for himself but the people to the right and the left of him. The unselfishness and devotion to the team helped shape my success.”
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.
“We're taking care of all the Marines and sailors attached to the Marine Expeditionary Brigade in U.S. 5th Fleet, and without us they wouldn't be able to do their jobs effectively,” said Williams.
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.
“The culture here has been very unique for me. It's a big switch from what I'm used to, but it's very exciting and I enjoy being here,” said Williams.
Serving in the Navy means Williams 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 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, Williams is most proud of earning an associate’s degree and working towards a bachelor’s degree.
“Being able to earn my associate’s degree, and then being accepted into the University of Arizona as a Pre-Public Health major is my biggest accomplishment and what I am most proud of,” said Williams. “My parents did not go to college so being able to further educate myself and get one step closer to commissioning has been amazing and something I have wanted to be able to show my siblings and those around me that if I can do it they can too.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Williams and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means a lot to me to be able to serve our country and give back to the people who supported me as I grew up,” said Williams. “There is a sense of pride in being able to serve in the hospital corps let alone attached to a Marine Corps unit.”
“Our operational tempo is very high, especially as a corpsman working with the Marines,” said Williams.
Williams, a graduate of Malakoff, is a Hospital Corpsman at U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.
“As a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy we are responsible for the health and well-being of all sailors, Marines and their families,” said Williams. “I have a specific job as a preventive maintenance technician, so I ensure our sailors and Marines, both ashore and afloat are medically ready to deploy at a moment's notice. I also help in the prevention of occupational and environmental hazards and infectious diseases.”
Williams is a part of Task Force 55, which controls surface forces, including U.S. Navy coastal patrol craft, cruisers and destroyers, and U.S. Coast Guard patrols boats, in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. They have a permanently assigned forward-deployed force consisting of 10 U.S. Navy coastal patrol ships and six U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats.
Williams credits success at U.S. 5th Fleet, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Trinidad.
“The lesson I have applied to my Naval career is from our head football coach,” said Williams. “He would always say ‘I'm in’ and when the individual came to the terms of being able to tell him that he ‘was in,’ that meant that he would go out there and give it everything he had not only for himself but the people to the right and the left of him. The unselfishness and devotion to the team helped shape my success.”
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.
“We're taking care of all the Marines and sailors attached to the Marine Expeditionary Brigade in U.S. 5th Fleet, and without us they wouldn't be able to do their jobs effectively,” said Williams.
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.
“The culture here has been very unique for me. It's a big switch from what I'm used to, but it's very exciting and I enjoy being here,” said Williams.
Serving in the Navy means Williams 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 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, Williams is most proud of earning an associate’s degree and working towards a bachelor’s degree.
“Being able to earn my associate’s degree, and then being accepted into the University of Arizona as a Pre-Public Health major is my biggest accomplishment and what I am most proud of,” said Williams. “My parents did not go to college so being able to further educate myself and get one step closer to commissioning has been amazing and something I have wanted to be able to show my siblings and those around me that if I can do it they can too.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Williams and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means a lot to me to be able to serve our country and give back to the people who supported me as I grew up,” said Williams. “There is a sense of pride in being able to serve in the hospital corps let alone attached to a Marine Corps unit.”