Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Seaman Mark Anthony Fernandez, a Vancouver, Washington, native, decided to join the Navy as a way to finish paying for his education.
“This is my first ship, and since this is a smaller boat I get to accomplish a lot of different tasks,” said Fernandez. ”On a bigger boat the same type of work would be distributed out to more hands.”
Fernandez, a 2015 graduate of Evergreen High School, is a culinary specialist aboard the Manama, Bahrain-based ship, one of four MCMs forward-deployed to the Arabian Gulf in the Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet operating under Task Force 52.
“My main job is to prepare food for the crew and maintain the sanitation of the galley,” said Fernandez.
Task Force 52 plans and executes mine warfare operations in support of U.S. 5th Fleet’s operational objectives.
Fernandez credits success in the MCM force, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Vancouver.
“I apply what my mother taught me about the culinary arts,” said Fernandez.
USS Gladiator is 224 feet long, 39 feet wide and weighs over 1,300 tons. Four diesel engines, designed to have very low magnetic and acoustic signatures, help push the ship through the water at 16 miles per hour.
As mines threaten maritime traffic indiscriminately, the U.S. and partner nations are committed to taking all action necessary to reduce the risk of mines to support the continuous free flow of commerce and freedom of navigation throughout the region. MCMs are outfitted with the means to detect and disable them, ensuring sea lanes remain open for military, commercial and civilian vessels. These ships use a variety of novel and conventional sweeping measures, including sonar and video systems, cable cutters and remote control mine-detonating devices.
The Navy’s mine countermeasures in the U.S. 5th Fleet are divided between three separate legs, consisting of airborne, surface and underwater methods. These consist of the MCMs such as USS Gladiator, MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15, and unmanned underwater vehicles, as well as expeditionary explosive ordnance disposal teams. All three legs work together to hunt and neutralize mines.
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.
Serving in the Navy means Fernandez 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.”
“I’m incredibly proud to serve with each of our Sailors, Coastguardsmen and Marines forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations,” said Rear Admiral Paul Schlise, deputy commander for NAVCENT/ U.S. 5th Fleet. “They represent the very best of our country and serve as volunteers in a complex and dynamic region that’s vital to our security. I am honored to work alongside these warriors.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Fernandez is most proud of graduating from boot camp in 2017.
“Marching at graduation gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment because not everyone has the opportunity or ability to serve,” said Fernandez.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Fernandez 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 has put me in a better position to achieve my goals,” said Fernandez.