YOKOSUKA, Japan – Fireman Apprentice Alissa Dorsey, a native of Pittston, Pennsylvania, said she wanted to give back to those who gave to her, and she always had a great appreciation for the veterans in her life and veterans in general. So she joined the U.S. Navy.
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| Photo By Senior Cheif Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“There's a lot more work here because it's a smaller ship,” Dorsey said. “You're close to everyone, you know everyone, it's pretty nice.”
Dorsey, a 2018 graduate of Pittston Area High School, is a damage controlman aboard the Yokosuka, Japan-based ship, one of three cruisers forward-deployed to the region where she focuses on ship stability and damage response.
“We put out fires, deal with toxic gas leaks, maintain the lifesaving equipment every day,” she said. “You need to know how to plug a hole in the side of the bulkhead – basically everything to make sure the ship doesn't go down.”
Dorsey credits part of her success in the Navy to lessons learned in Pittston.
“We moved around a lot, it helped me adjust to being away,” she said. “I always kind of wanted to help people because I knew what it was like to want or need help. My dad didn't sweeten things, he kind of told me how it was, so I didn't grow up thinking everything was easy, I knew there would be challenges.”
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 different culture, different foods and religions with temples and shrines, how the people dress and the currency – you just learn a lot of new things from the people here,” said Dorsey.
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 Dorsey 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. Dorsey is most proud of earned recognition as top graduate in her damage control school.
“It shows that I worked really hard to get to the top and didn't let other people discourage me and tell me that I couldn't do it because I was a woman and I was small,” she said. “It felt good to show them they were wrong.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Dorsey and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“If you’re looking for a job to give you purpose or find yourself, it will be hard in the service, but it will end up bettering you,” Dorsey said. “It's definitely a good option, especially if you're not planning to go to college.”