SASEBO, Japan – Petty Officer 3rd Class Keeane Wagner, a native of New York City, knew he wanted to join the FBI eventually and saw the U.S. Navy as a gateway.
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
Now, three years later and half a world away, Wagner serves aboard one of the Navy’s 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 challenging sometimes, especially being forward-deployed, when we're underway a lot more,” he said. “But the people make it better, and the good leadership on board makes it easier on us.”
Wagner, a 2015 graduate of Bronx Lab High School, is an intelligence specialist aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in Sasebo, Japan.
“We’re keeping the warfare commander informed with good situational awareness of what's happening around their area of responsibility,” said Wagner.
Wagner credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in New York.
“I definitely learned to be humble growing up,” he said. “I’ve found that my people skills have definitely helped me out in the Navy, where there's people from a lot of different backgrounds that you have to work with.”
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 environment is a challenge, being out here in a foreign country, not everyone is able to serve out here,” Wagner said. “It definitely feels like what you're doing out here, working with sailors from other countries, it feels more like a coalition, like you're working together making a difference in the world.”
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."
Wasp, one of the Navy's most advanced amphibious ships, is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts.
Sailors' jobs are highly varied aboard USS Wasp. More than 1,000 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from handling weapons to maintaining the engines. An additional 1,200 Marines can be embarked. USS Wasp is capable of transporting Marines and landing them where they are needed using helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other water-to-shore landing craft.
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.
Serving in the Navy means Wagner 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. Wagner is most proud of earning the rate he needed to continue his quest toward the FBI.
“Being able to take that big step toward my long-term goals definitely makes me feel more positive about what I'm doing than I'd be feeling back home,” he said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Wagner and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Going into the Navy is a big step, and as a person trying to work their way up from Harlem, the Navy gives you a lot of opportunity to get someplace better in your life,” he said. “Being able to hear ‘thank you for your service’ every day, I feel like I'm doing a lot more than I would be, it's a good way to start out your life and build something at a young age.”