By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn
Navy Office of Community Outreach
SASEBO, Japan – Seaman Joshua Nolan, a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, joined the Navy to provide a better life for himself. He joined the Navy to also make his family proud.
Now, seven months later and half a world away, Nolan 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.
“Life on the ship is good,” said Nolan. “I work with a lot of great people. The hours are long, but the job still needs to get done, so you just work.”
Nolan, a 2015 graduate of Haverhill High School, works in the deck department aboard the forward-deployed amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay in Sasebo, Japan.
“I’m in charge of the maintenance on the ship so we help preserve, we maintain the mooring lines, stand outlook watches,” said Nolan.
Nolan credits some success in the Navy to lessons learned in Haverhill.
“I learned a lot growing up,” said Nolan. “I have a great family and a lot of friends that helped me get to where I am today. They motivated me to put hard work and dedication into everything I do not matter what it was.”
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.
“It can get stressful being out here but it’s worth it,” said Nolan. “I feel like I’m doing something good.”
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 Nolan 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. Nolan is most proud of calling himself a United States sailor and being a part of a legacy.
“I work towards getting jobs done and making sure I feel accomplished at the end of the day and to do it in the Navy is a blessing,” said Nolan.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Nolan and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving is me giving back to the ones who served before me,” said Nolan. “I do it for my friends and family and to ensure I have accomplished something most people can’t do.”
