YOKOSUKA, Japan – Petty Officer 3rd Class Noah Schroeder, a native of Gilberts, Illinois, wanted to set out from home and see the world. He thought the U.S. Navy was the way to do it.
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“It can get kind of cramped and tiring, constantly fighting to stay on balance in the waves,” he said. “But you feel close to everyone on board because you're all in the same situation. It feels like a family underway.”
Schroeder, a 2016 homeschool graduate, is a sonar technician aboard the Yokosuka, Japan-based ship, one of three cruisers forward-deployed to the region.
“I am on the sonar console, monitoring the underwater landscape for threats – specifically submarines and torpedoes,” said Schroeder.
Schroeder partially credits success in the Navy to lessons learned in Schroeder.
“My parents taught me early on about working hard and doing your job the way it's supposed to be done,” he said. “My parents were good about teaching me not to be lazy, to have a good work ethic.”
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.
“Being in Japan is very interesting,” he said. “Very different from life back in the states. Different, but satisfying to know how similar it can be at times. I look around, and trees are still trees, the sky is still the sky, it's still earth, so it's close enough to home.”
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 Schroeder 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. Schroeder is just proud to be part of a crew.
“After spending so long in school, it felt good to finally make it to the ship and find my place,” he said. “You look around and everyone’s wearing the same ballcap as you, it's special to know you're all part of the same crew. I made it to this moment, and I get to call myself a Chancellorsville sailor.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Schroeder and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It's good to know that while you're in the Navy you're following a tradition that's been in place since 1775,” he said. “Some things are different, some things are very much the same. It's still about keeping the waters safe, whether or not we're at war. You've got your shipmates, but you've also got everyone who came before you who's got your back. It's just cool to be part of that tradition.”