SASEBO, Japan – Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Fletcher, a native of McDonough, Georgia, was inspired to serve in the military as his brother did before him. His brother served in the Army and would tell him stories of traveling and meeting new people. This is what inspired Fletcher to join ROTC in high school and then finally enlisting in the Navy.
Now, two years later and half a world away, Fletcher 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.
“I love being on this ship because it’s not too big and not too small so it’s kind of comfortable,” said Fletcher. “We all help each other out. It’s like a small tight-knit community on the ship.”
Fletcher, a 2016 graduate of Henry County High School, is a ship's serviceman aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I help run retail services, like the ship's store, laundry, barber shop, vending machines,” said Fletcher. “We are popular on the ship, everybody knows us.”
Fletcher credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in McDonough.
“I was raised off of respect and to have the willpower to never give up,” said Fletcher. “This helps me a lot in the Navy because there are some rough times and I just have to remember where I came from.”
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.
“We are forward deployed so we are always in and out of port,” said Fletcher. “It’s not too bad because I can save a lot of money. I also get to travel to other countries like Guam, Thailand, and Australia.”
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 Fletcher 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. Fletcher is most proud of achieving his enlisted surface warfare qualification.
“It felt good to get my pin because it was a culmination of a lot of hard work, grinding, and studying to get that pin,” said Fletcher. “I have to say that has been one of my proudest moments so far.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Fletcher and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It means to go above and beyond the call to protect the things I love most,” said Fletcher.
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“I love being on this ship because it’s not too big and not too small so it’s kind of comfortable,” said Fletcher. “We all help each other out. It’s like a small tight-knit community on the ship.”
Fletcher, a 2016 graduate of Henry County High School, is a ship's serviceman aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I help run retail services, like the ship's store, laundry, barber shop, vending machines,” said Fletcher. “We are popular on the ship, everybody knows us.”
Fletcher credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in McDonough.
“I was raised off of respect and to have the willpower to never give up,” said Fletcher. “This helps me a lot in the Navy because there are some rough times and I just have to remember where I came from.”
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.
“We are forward deployed so we are always in and out of port,” said Fletcher. “It’s not too bad because I can save a lot of money. I also get to travel to other countries like Guam, Thailand, and Australia.”
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 Fletcher 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. Fletcher is most proud of achieving his enlisted surface warfare qualification.
“It felt good to get my pin because it was a culmination of a lot of hard work, grinding, and studying to get that pin,” said Fletcher. “I have to say that has been one of my proudest moments so far.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Fletcher and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“It means to go above and beyond the call to protect the things I love most,” said Fletcher.