Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson G. Brown
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Lieutenant Junior Grade Christopher Joseph, a Blanco, Texas, native, had a strong desire to serve his country.
Now, three years later and half a world away at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Joseph keeps watch aboard the cyclone-class coastal patrol ship (PC), USS Chinook, patrolling one of the world’s most dynamic maritime region as the leading-edge of the Navy.“Working on board a forward deployed ship in the Arabian Gulf is very exciting,” said Joseph.
Joseph, a 2012 graduate of Elkins High School, is a weapons officer aboard the Manama, Bahrain-based ship, one of 10 PCs forward-deployed to the Arabian Gulf in the Navy’s 5th Fleet.
“I provide leadership and management of sailors,” said Joseph. “Also, I am responsible for the overall tactical readiness of the ship.”
Joseph credits success in the coastal patrol force, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Blanco.
“Growing up in Texas, I learned the importance of having a strong sense of morals and values,” said Joseph. “Holding my morals as an important and immovable set of ideas has helped me become a better officer in the Navy.”
USS Chinook is 179 feet long, 25 feet wide and weighs nearly 320 tons. Four diesel engines help push the ship through water at 40 miles per hour. [ship name] is perfectly suited for the complex waters of the Arabian Gulf, where over 80 percent of maritime security operations take place in less than 39 feet of water. The ship’s light tonnage, powerful propulsion plants and shallow draft mean it can move nimbly in crowded coastal waters.
This platform is also used to escort larger ships such as destroyers, protect infrastructure like oil platforms and distilling platforms, and frequently participates in exercises with regional partners.
The PCs operate under U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55, responsible for surface ships in the region. 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.
“Serving in the 5th fleet you have to be ready on a moment’s notice,” said Joseph. “In this environment things change quickly and you have to adapt accordingly.”
Serving in the Navy means Joseph 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, Joseph is most proud of earning the Batten Cup.
“The Batten Cup is awarded to the best ship in the Atlantic fleet,” said Joseph. “It was a great accomplishment and I was happy to do my part.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Joseph 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 is a privilege,” said Joseph. “The level of responsibility and authority given to a junior officer is an amazing opportunity to test yourself and continue to work to be a better individual.”
“The Batten Cup is awarded to the best ship in the Atlantic fleet,” said Joseph. “It was a great accomplishment and I was happy to do my part.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Joseph 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 is a privilege,” said Joseph. “The level of responsibility and authority given to a junior officer is an amazing opportunity to test yourself and continue to work to be a better individual.”