Kennett native serves aboard guided missile cruiser in Japan

YOKOSUKA, Japan – A Kennett, Missouri native and 2007 Kennett Christian Academy graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Brown is a culinary specialist aboard the forward deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. Antietam is one of three cruisers forward-deployed in Yokosuka.

A Navy culinary specialist is responsible for managing the ship's large food budget and food inventory.

“The work ethic that I learned back home contributed greatly to my success working in the Navy,” said Brown.

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. 

"Our alliance is rooted in shared interests and shared values," said Adm. Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. "It's not hyperbole to say that the entire world has benefited from the U.S.-Japan alliance. While our alliance helped stabilize the region after the Second World War, it also enabled the Japanese people to bring about an era of unprecedented economic growth. And for the last six decades, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have worked side by side with the Japan Self Defense Force to protect and advance peace and freedom."

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. 

Forward-deployed sailors are crucial to the success of the global Navy mission and earn high praise from their leaders.

“My great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather on my father’s side were in the military and my grandfather would tell me stories about them and show me pictures and letters they had written and this influenced me in joining the Navy,” said Brown.

Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.

“Serving in the Navy is one of the most honorable things you can do at an early age and to serve for your country before you lead your own life,” added Brown.

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.

Sailors play a vital role in the overall military mission around the world.

"The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," said Harris.