Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Erin Devenberg | Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 2nd Class Samantha Rubin, center, originally from...... read more read more
MISAWA, Japan - In a little corner of northern Japan, you will find the snowiest U.S. naval base in the world. Surrounded by the country roads and hills of Aomori prefecture, you would think there is not a whole lot to do in Misawa. But many of the military members stationed at Misawa Air Base, will assure you otherwise.
One such Sailor, Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 2nd Class Samantha Rubin, who originally hails from Suffern, N.Y., will tell you that upon arriving in Misawa, she joined the Misawa Ice Hockey Club, a local Japanese hockey team that plays in the Japan Aomori-ken Amateur Ice Hockey League. Not only is she one of the few Americans on the team, she is the only female as well.
"I'm accustomed to being the only female player on the hockey teams I've joined," said Rubin. "At first, I kind of get that stigma that I'm just a girl, but I don't play the fragile girl card. If I get knocked down, I get back up and keep playing."
Rubin began playing street and roller hockey at the age of six, which eventually emboldened her to try out for an ice hockey team during her senior year of high school. She’s been playing ice hockey ever since.
After joining the Navy in 2010, she reported to her current command at Navy Information Operations Command Misawa in December 2011. It took less than a month for her to become a member of the Misawa Hockey Club, and she’s been an avid player and spokesperson for the team ever since.
"Sami is an important player on our team," said teammate Daisuke Sato, a native of Misawa, Japan. "She has a big heart and she's good.”
Since a young age, Rubin has always been fascinated with the sport of hockey and recalls her earliest memory of attending a game.
“When I was very young, my family went to a National Hockey League game and we watched the New York Rangers play," she said. "I noticed that the players were taking the time to stop, high-five their fans and sign autographs on their breaks, which showed me that they’re really down-to-earth people. This gave me the idea that I wanted to be a good role model like that, and it helped me decide that this is what I’d like to do.”
Since those early years, Rubin has consistently made this dream a reality, even while on active duty in the U.S. Navy. Not only has she achieved success on the ice, she has also achieved success in her naval career. In December, NIOC Misawa named her its 2013 Junior Sailor of the Year Award.
"Petty Officer Rubin is an invaluable member of our NIOC Misawa team," said NIOC Misawa Operations Department Leading Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Daniel Nash, originally from The Woodlands, Texas. "Much like she leads her team on the ice, Petty Officer Rubin comes to work every day with that same grit and tenacity that makes her stand out amongst an already stellar group of Sailors. We're proud of what she's achieved here in Misawa, and certainly consider her our MVP."
Rubin says that she will always appreciate the experiences and opportunities presented in Misawa, both personally and professionally, and will carry them with her throughout her burgeoning naval career year. Later this year she transfers to NIOC Maryland.
"Not everyone can say they played their favorite sport in another country with the local community," said Rubin. "I think I will always cherish the camaraderie I shared with my teammates on the Misawa Ice Hockey Club. They have become my family while forward deployed to Misawa, and I am honored to not only call them my teammates, but consider them my close friends as well."
For more news from Naval Air Facility Misawa, check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nafmisawa.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2014 21:59 |
| Story ID: | 124795 |
| Location: | MISAWA, AOMORI, JP |
| Hometown: | SUFFERN, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 323 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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