SASEBO, Japan – Ensign Daniel Nguyen, a native of Gainesville, Georgia, was involved in NJROTC in high school. It was then he was inspired to become a Naval officer. He wanted also to join as a way to serve his country and give back to the country that provided his family so many opportunities.
“I’m fairly new on board but what I’ve noticed so far is that the crew is very community-oriented,” said Nguyen. “The first month I got here I was just learning the ropes and the crew was extremely helpful. There were people from all over the ship from different departments going out of their way to help get me settled. It was a very warm welcoming.”
Nguyen, a 2014 graduate of Gainesville High School, is a division officer in the deck department aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m the assistant to the second division officer in the deck department,” said Nguyen. “We are in charge of ensuring that correct maintenance is done on the well deck spaces, the vehicle storage areas, and the small amphibious crafts. We are also in charge of the safe transport of Marines who come on board during deployment.”
Nguyen credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in Gainesville.
“My parents taught me that you will always make mistakes and it’s your purpose to fix them,” said Nguyen. “They would tell me to stop saying sorry and to just fix the problem so it doesn’t happen again.”
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.
“The forward-deployed ships have a high op-tempo schedule so that’s probably the biggest difference than anywhere else in the Navy,” said Nguyen. “The plus side is that we get to be stationed in Japan. The people here are very polite and reserved.”
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 Nguyen 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. Nguyen is most proud of graduating from the basic division officer course where he finished in the top four of a class of one hundred other Naval officers.
“That has to be one of my proudest moments so far,” said Nguyen. “It was a culmination of a lot of studying and long hours. I finished as one of the highest in the class so it feels like I can always set the bar high throughout the rest of my naval career.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Nguyen and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Where I am at now is a reflection of everybody’s investment in my development of becoming who I want to be,” said Nguyen. “My family, and my NJROTC instructor, Master Sergeant Jack Reese, have all been a positive influence in my life and in my naval career so far. I feel like I serve to pay them back for what was done for me.”
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 Nguyen 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. Nguyen is most proud of graduating from the basic division officer course where he finished in the top four of a class of one hundred other Naval officers.
“That has to be one of my proudest moments so far,” said Nguyen. “It was a culmination of a lot of studying and long hours. I finished as one of the highest in the class so it feels like I can always set the bar high throughout the rest of my naval career.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Nguyen and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Where I am at now is a reflection of everybody’s investment in my development of becoming who I want to be,” said Nguyen. “My family, and my NJROTC instructor, Master Sergeant Jack Reese, have all been a positive influence in my life and in my naval career so far. I feel like I serve to pay them back for what was done for me.”