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Franklin County native experiences whole new world as a Navy sailor in Japan

Petty Officer 3rd Class James Hong

A Mercersburg native and 2017 James Buchanan High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile cruiser, USS Antietam.

Petty Officer 3nd Class Drew Metcalfe is a Quartermaster aboard the forward-deployed Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. Antietam is one of three cruisers forward-deployed to Yokosuka.

Approximately 450 men and women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are highly specialized and keep each part of the destroyer 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.

Quartermaster Seaman Drew Metcalfe raises a flag to indicate that the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) is the guide ship to Royal Thai Navy ships for a “LEAP FROG” exercise during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2019. This year marks the 25th iteration of CARAT, a multinational exercise series designed to enhance U.S. and partner navies’ abilities to operate together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

A Quartermaster is responsible for using skills in oceanography, astronomy and maritime law to maintain safety of navigation for the ship.

“I especially like celestial navigation,” said Metcalfe. “I love being able to look up at the stars and planets and be able to tell where I’m at.”

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.

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

“Being stationed in Japan is extremely difficult and requires a lot of adaptation,” said Metcalfe. “But at the end of the tour you discover a lot about yourself and what you’re actually capable of.”

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

“Being stationed overseas in a new culture is a very eye-opening experience,” said Metcalfe. “It allows you to meet and interact with new people and see new lands, which is something you don’t get in a small town.”

Modern U.S. Navy guided-missile cruisers perform primarily in a Battle Force role. These ships are multi-mission Air Warfare (AW), Undersea Warfare (USW), Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) and Surface Warfare (SUW) surface combatants capable of supporting carrier battle groups, amphibious forces or operating independently and as flagships of surface action groups.

USS Antietam is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

This story was republished from the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.