SASEBO, Japan – Hospitalman Aleksandra Podinovskaya, a native of Centennial, Colorado, said she considered military service before deciding to attend school. But then, she wrecked her car, lost her job and was facing eviction from her apartment.
“I had nowhere else to go and I didn't want to go back to my parents,” she said. “So I joined the Navy.”
Now, three years later and half a world away, Podinovskaya serves aboard one of the Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious ships at Fleet Activities Sasebo, patrolling one of the world’s busiest maritime regions as part of U.S. 7th Fleet.
“It’s my first ship, and so far, I really like it,” she said. “It's very different and very mission- and work-driven; it's a good environment to be in.”
Podinovskaya, a 2014 graduate of Smoky Hill High School, handles the medical needs of sailors aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m essentially a medic, very similar to a nurse,” she said. “I run the ship’s sick call hours, I handle physical fitness assessments, and perform physicals and give shots.”
Podinovskaya credits her success in the Navy to lessons learned since venturing out beyond Centennial.
“I learned how to work in a team and work with people I don't necessarily like,” she said. “It's given me a good drive to work harder, be better, and I definitely didn't have that before.”
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.
“I've always wanted to come to Japan,” she said, noting that she had to serve in Virginia prior to making it to her bucket-list destination in the Far East. “It’s great.”
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 Sasebo 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."
These ships support missions from sea to shore, special operations and other warfare missions. They also serve as secondary aviation platforms. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice, according to Navy officials.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Green Bay. More than 400 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weaponry to maintaining the engines. An additional 700 Marines can be embarked. Green Bay is capable of transporting Marines and landing them where they are needed using helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other water-to-shore craft.
Serving in the Navy means Podinovskaya 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. Podinovskaya is just thankful she chose to take the oath and enlist.
“I'm pretty sure I'd be in jail, or homeless, or dead, if I wasn't in the military,” said Podinovskaya.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Podinovskaya and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I was lost and I didn't know what my next steps in the world would be,” she said. “This kind of mapped it out and saved me.”
“I had nowhere else to go and I didn't want to go back to my parents,” she said. “So I joined the Navy.”
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“It’s my first ship, and so far, I really like it,” she said. “It's very different and very mission- and work-driven; it's a good environment to be in.”
Podinovskaya, a 2014 graduate of Smoky Hill High School, handles the medical needs of sailors aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m essentially a medic, very similar to a nurse,” she said. “I run the ship’s sick call hours, I handle physical fitness assessments, and perform physicals and give shots.”
Podinovskaya credits her success in the Navy to lessons learned since venturing out beyond Centennial.
“I learned how to work in a team and work with people I don't necessarily like,” she said. “It's given me a good drive to work harder, be better, and I definitely didn't have that before.”
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.
“I've always wanted to come to Japan,” she said, noting that she had to serve in Virginia prior to making it to her bucket-list destination in the Far East. “It’s great.”
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 Sasebo 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."
These ships support missions from sea to shore, special operations and other warfare missions. They also serve as secondary aviation platforms. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice, according to Navy officials.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Green Bay. More than 400 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weaponry to maintaining the engines. An additional 700 Marines can be embarked. Green Bay is capable of transporting Marines and landing them where they are needed using helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other water-to-shore craft.
Serving in the Navy means Podinovskaya 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. Podinovskaya is just thankful she chose to take the oath and enlist.
“I'm pretty sure I'd be in jail, or homeless, or dead, if I wasn't in the military,” said Podinovskaya.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Podinovskaya and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I was lost and I didn't know what my next steps in the world would be,” she said. “This kind of mapped it out and saved me.”