Top Three Leaders Aboard U.S. Warship From Same State by Commander, Naval Forces Japan
May 22, 2021
It is extremely unusual for the top three leaders aboard a U.S.
warship to come from the same state.
Aboard USS Mustin (DDG
89) , the commanding officer, executive officer, and command master
chief all hail from New York.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) breaks away from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) after conducting a fueling-at-sea. Ronald Reagan and Mustin are forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Codie L. Soule)
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And for all three, Fleet Week
New York has a special meaning.
Cmdr. Robert Briggs,
commanding officer, grew up on the water and was actively involved
in sailing and kayaking. It wasn't until seeing a fleet week,
though, that he first considered a career in the Navy.
"It
was my mother's idea to see Fleet Week New York when I was a high
school freshman," said Briggs. "Seeing [the aircraft carrier] USS
John F. Kennedy, the size of the ship, and the jets and helos
onboard -- it was an amazing experience. After that, I went to Fleet
Week New York every year until I graduated."
Executive
officer Cmdr. Rick Slye, from Watertown, comes from a long-standing
sea service tradition. Both grandfathers were Navy Sailors, his
father served in the Coast Guard, his uncle flew the P-3 Orion, and
a younger brother also serves on active duty. His first experience
with Fleet Week New York was in 2002, in the months following 9/11.
He visited the city as part of a United States Naval Academy summer
training exercise, and recalled the hospitality and warmth with
which the city welcomed Sailors.
"Being a young midshipman
visiting fleet week the first year following 9/11 was an experience
like no other," said Slye. "The clear sense of unity, resilience,
and national pride shown by the great people of New York evoked a
powerful feeling I will never forget, and is a primary reason I
choose to continue to serve today."
Command Master Chief Van
Troi Sibilia-Martinez's family came to Brooklyn via the Dominican
Republic. The eldest of five children, he joined the Navy at
eighteen as a hospital corpsman. In addition to participation in two
New York fleet weeks, his career has included deployments to Iraq
and Afghanistan, and two tours and a deployment to Japan.
Following the devastation of Japan's Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
in 2011, Sibilia-Martinez's medical training skills were called upon
and he deployed to Yokota Air Base to provide radiological and
chemical training to Japanese responders.
"It is our job to
support each other when things are tough," said Sibilia-Martinez.
"We look out for each other."
"We've got a great relationship
with our Japanese brethren," said Slye. "They're incredibly gracious
and professional, and it's an honor every time we sail together."
For Briggs, Mustin's participation in the fleet weeks allows his
crew to showcase the best of New York and Japan.
"The
strength of our alliance is not in the weapon systems, but in our
relationships," said Briggs. "It's in the friendships we're able to
forge working alongside and learning from each other."
The
USS Mustin is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.
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