YOKOSUKA, Japan – Petty Officer 3rd Class Reshawn Wallace, a native of Brooklyn, New York, knew a little about the U.S. Navy from watching “NCIS,” his favorite show.
 |
| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“Work never stops, no matter what. You always have inspections, always conducting ship preservation and maintenance,” he said. “It’s fun, too, because the ship is so small, everybody knows everybody, you can have a little fun together, especially underway.”
Wallace, a 2014 graduate of Urban Action Academy, is a boatswain's mate aboard the Yokosuka, Japan-based ship, one of three cruisers forward-deployed to the region.
“I handle preservation, maintenance, keeping the ship clean and looking good,” he said. “It still kind of hits me like ‘wow, I'm in the Navy, wow, I'm in Japan, wow, I'm driving a ship. If I'm sweeping water off a ship I'm, wow, I never thought I’d be doing that.”
Wallace credits part of his success in the Navy to lessons learned in Brooklyn.
“I had to take care of my little brother and act with maturity and common sense,” he said. “Mom enforced a clean home and demanded responsibility in general. It was a home with a Caribbean, Trinidad background - very strict. So I already had the discipline you need here.”
U.S. 7th Fleet spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. U.S. 7th Fleet's area of operations encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 sailors.
“Since I was younger, I said ‘I'm going to Japan no matter what,’” Wallace said. “I like different cultures, New York has lots of mixed cultures. I’d watch ‘Tokyo Drift’ and said ‘hey, I gotta go there and see spots in the movie.' You actually get here and and say ‘hey, they drifted through here.’ I always wanted to travel, this is definitely one of the places on my bucket list.”
With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third of the world's crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy's presence in Yokosuka is part of that long-standing commitment.
"The Navy is forward-deployed to provide security and strengthen relationships in a free and open Indo-Pacific. It's not just the ships and aircraft that have shown up to prevent conflict and promote peace," said Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. "It is, and will continue to be our people who define the role our Navy plays around the world. People who've made a choice, and have the will and strength of character to make a difference."
A Navy cruiser is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with a vertical launching system, tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns, and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
Approximately 300 men and women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are highly specialized and keep each part of the cruiser running smoothly, according to Navy officials. They do everything from maintaining gas turbine engines and operating the highly sophisticated Aegis weapons system to driving the ship and operating small boats.
Serving in the Navy means Wallace 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.”
There are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career. Wallace is most proud of earning a rate, becoming a boatswain’s mate and helping others through things like people helped him.
“Growing up, I saw a lot of people who had no one to talk to, and I’d think to myself, ‘I should be there for that person,’” he said. “I was too much of a pretty boy for the job at first, but then I realized that in our job we help almost everyone on the ship, and I said ‘why don't we have fun with this.’”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Wallace and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“The Navy is not for everyone, but if you want to try something different in your life, just try it and make it the best you can,” said Wallace.