The SOY week started with a graduation ceremony together with remarks from seventh Fleet’s commander, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, and seventh Fleet Command Grasp Chief Jason Haka.
“This week we have a good time you, the senior Sailors who’ve come from throughout the Fleet and signify the easiest of what I take into account probably the most dynamic, difficult numbered Fleet within the Navy,” stated Thomas. “Your achievements signify not solely what you’ve contributed to your command and the Navy, but additionally the contributions and sacrifices of your households, and your help to communities that assist allow our essential mission of defending our Nation and our allies.”
Command Grasp Chief Jason Haka stated the candidates stood out amongst their friends due to their hard-charging dedication to the Navy and the management they show inside their instructions.
“Within the U.S. Navy our most essential asset is our folks. With out our Sailors our planes wouldn’t fly and our ships wouldn’t sail,” stated Haka. “The Sailors we’re honoring this week have strived to push themselves additional and more durable, to be the easiest they are often and set a unbelievable instance for his or her junior Sailors to comply with.”
The candidates spent the week studying in regards to the naval historical past and native heritage of the realm. Along with that, they toured each the forward-deployed plane service USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) forward-deployed at CFAY and Japan Maritime Self-Protection Drive (JMSDF) ship JS Asuka (ASE-6102) homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
The Grasp Chief Petty Officer of JMSDF Kazuhito Azuma praised the candidate’s onerous work and energy and acknowledged that, though they aren’t from Japan, they’re nonetheless a part of the JMSDF navy household.
“Congratulations to everybody who was chosen! I salute you all in your nice work and efforts. We’re from totally different nations and converse totally different languages, however we’re all navy. Allow us to proceed to have a great relationship and cooperate with one another,” stated Azuma in a letter to the nominees.
This yr there have been three Sea SOY candidates and 4 Shore SOY candidates.
For Sea:
- Cryptologic Technician (Assortment) 1st Class Mark Lewis, from King George, Virginia, assigned to Commander U.S. seventh Fleet
- Cryptologic Technician (Assortment) 1st Class Brandon Blanding, from Queens, New York, assigned to Commander Process Drive 70
- Legalman 1st Class Alicia Home, from Nesbit Mississippi, assigned to Commander Process Drive 76
For Shore:
- Musician 1st Class Brian Kloppenburg, from Florissant, Missouri, assigned to U.S. seventh Fleet Band
- Culinary Specialist 1st Class Matelita Bolevakadinata, from Suva, Fiji, assigned to Commander, Naval Forces Korea
- Naval Aircrewman (Operator) 1st Class Carl Bates, from Sonora, California, assigned to Commander Process Drive 72
- Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ian Dave Estrada, from Fullerton, California and Tacloban Metropolis, Leyte, Philippines, assigned to Commander Process Drive 73.
Candidates spent the week in Yokosuka, taking part in quite a few occasions centered on skilled improvement to assist broaden their management expertise and social engagements with seventh Fleet management, the SOY candidates and their respective Command Grasp Chiefs, and Japan Maritime Self-Protection Drive (JMSDF) management and personnel.
Petty Officer Mark Lewis was introduced because the 2022 seventh Fleet Sea SOY winner throughout the ceremony.
“I really feel extraordinarily honored and humbled to have been acknowledged because the U.S. seventh Fleet Sea SOY. Successful at this stage is really a mirrored image of the kind of folks I’m so lucky to have in my life,” stated Lewis. “My management, my friends, my Sailors, and my wonderful spouse Sierra actually deserve credit score for this win as a result of, with out them, I’d definitely not be the place I’m right now”
Bates, the 2022 seventh Fleet Shore SOY winner, stated his success isn’t his alone and that he owes it to the help he has gotten from his command and his mentors.
“That is such an incredible and humbling expertise,” stated Bates. “Thanks to all my mentors and my crew again at TOC (Tactical Operations Command) Kadena. I’d not be right here it wasn’t for you all.”
Thomas added that the excessive tempo of seventh Fleet requires a stage of confidence within the Sailors underneath his command that they meet and exceed regularly.
“The person Sailor is on the core of each crew, process pressure, and train executed throughout seventh Fleet. I depend on my commanders to train precision and confidence when executing orders,” stated Thomas. “With a view to function 24/7 on this very dynamic area, it takes everybody – up and down the chain – to copy that very same stage of high-caliber consideration to undertaking each aim.”
The Sailor of the Yr program was established in 1972 by the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and Grasp Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet to acknowledge a person Sailor who greatest represented the ever-growing group of devoted skilled Sailors at every command and in the end the Navy.
Every year, each U.S. Navy ship, station, and command world wide chooses its Sailor of the Yr based mostly on management, professionalism, dedication, and superior efficiency. These selectees compete towards recipients from different instructions, finally competing at larger echelons till U.S. Pacific Fleet’s most interesting are chosen.
The winners of the Sea and Shore 2022 Sailor of the Yr will signify U.S. seventh Fleet on the U.S. Pacific Fleet competitors.
“So far as PACFLT SOY, identical to I did for this board, I need to signify everybody who has helped me get up to now with the addition of representing seventh Fleet in the easiest way attainable,” stated Lewis. “I do know the competitors goes to be fierce. I’m going up towards Sailors who’re greater than seemingly going to be sporting khakis in a couple of months, so nothing is assured. I’m simply going to absorb the second, do my greatest to signify our fleet, my management, friends, junior Sailors and household, and hopefully I can convey it residence for seventh for a 2nd yr in a row.”
U.S. seventh Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in help of U.S. nationwide pursuits within the Indo-Asia-Pacific space of operations. Because the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet, seventh Fleet interacts with 35 different maritime nations to construct maritime partnerships that foster maritime safety, promote stability, and stop battle.
