SASEBO, Japan – Fireman Mark Hillis, a native of Hillsboro, Oregon, said he wanted to get out and see the world and make himself a better person. He chose to do both in the U.S. Navy.
“I knew doing this would challenge me and make me grow,” he said. “It very much has. I'm not the same person I was before, and it's only for the better.”
 |
| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“It's chaotic, it's packed, but I wouldn't have it any other way,” Hillis said. “With my job, I'm always working on something, always talking with new people and visiting places on and offboard that I've never been. I'm getting just a little taste of everything. I really like it. I don't think I could ever have these kinds of experiences without doing the job I do.”
Hillis, a 2015 graduate of Hillsboro High School, is an electrician's mate aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m keeping the ship afloat, fixing anything that goes electrically wrong, getting my qualifications and making sure I grow as a person,” said Hillis.
Hillis credits some of his success in the Navy to support he received back in Hillsboro.
“It's given me a general appreciation for the life I lived and the life I'm going to live,” he said. “I'm not well off, but I had a loving family and a great support system everywhere I went. It makes me appreciate all the people who pushed me to where I am today.”
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 would have never thought that Japan was so awesome,” Hillis said. “The people here are so kind and hard working. At this point, it hits me with a bit of a culture shock going back to the states. Everyone just smiles and is super kind here. When I leave, I think I'm going to miss this place.”
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 Hillis 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. Hillis said he gets satisfaction from a job well done.
“I’m fulfilled when I’m doing all the troubleshooting,” he said. “This is my job and I love doing this. It fills me with a sense of pride when I learn new systems and new things, when someone comes up and says ‘hey, can you help me out,’ and I say ‘I've got you.’ That's where I feel pride.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Hillis and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I can very much recommend that people at least look into service,” he said. “It's not for everyone. It's hard, and most of the time, it's thankless. But it's worth it. There are so few people who can go out and do the things we do and meet so many amazing people and see amazing places. Who can say their job has taken them to 17 countries and allowed them to meet people from all walks of life? It's just crazy.”
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 would have never thought that Japan was so awesome,” Hillis said. “The people here are so kind and hard working. At this point, it hits me with a bit of a culture shock going back to the states. Everyone just smiles and is super kind here. When I leave, I think I'm going to miss this place.”
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 Hillis 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. Hillis said he gets satisfaction from a job well done.
“I’m fulfilled when I’m doing all the troubleshooting,” he said. “This is my job and I love doing this. It fills me with a sense of pride when I learn new systems and new things, when someone comes up and says ‘hey, can you help me out,’ and I say ‘I've got you.’ That's where I feel pride.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Hillis and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I can very much recommend that people at least look into service,” he said. “It's not for everyone. It's hard, and most of the time, it's thankless. But it's worth it. There are so few people who can go out and do the things we do and meet so many amazing people and see amazing places. Who can say their job has taken them to 17 countries and allowed them to meet people from all walks of life? It's just crazy.”