YOKOSUKA, Japan – Petty Officer 3rd Class Elijah Namuco, a native of Temecula, California, wanted to do something that would give him an opportunity to provide for his family. His father had served in the Navy as an aviation boatswain's mate and enjoyed it enough to stay all the way to retirement, so Namuco went for it, too.
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| Photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward |
“It's really relaxed, but when something breaks on my system, we're there all day,” he said. “We get down and dirty once something goes wrong.”
Namuco, a 2016 graduate of Great Oak High School, is a gunner's mate aboard the Yokosuka, Japan-based ship, one of three cruisers forward-deployed to the region.
“I'm a vertical launch system technician,” Namuco said. “I deal with the missiles, making sure they're ready to launch and are set for optimal readiness.”
Namuco credits some of his success in the Navy to lessons learned in Temecula.
“I was a little bit sheltered about the world,” Namuco said, noting that his family was heavily religious. “I knew manners, but when I got to the Navy, I really started learning, through adversity. People can be impolite sometimes, but my religion has helped me to stay consistent about who I am, and I've never lost that.”
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.
“People in Japan are always working,” he said. “We're always out in front, cranking in every way we can. Always trying to be the best. You've got to work hard here.”
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 Namuco 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. Namuco is most proud of earning honor graduate distinction in both his primary skill training “A” school and his follow-on, more advanced “C” school.
“It made me feel great,” he said. “All that hard work you have to put in, the Navy actually helps you grow a working mentality and has made me the person I am.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Namuco and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy is about showing pride in your nation,” he said. “I'm proud to have been born here. As a Pacific Islander, I want to show my respect because my family was able to come to the U.S. and then the country gave me this opportunity. The Navy offers so many different opportunities, you just need to grab them.”