EAST CHINA SEA (NNS) – A Michigan native is protecting cyber security in the Indo-Pacific while in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided-missile cruiser, USS Shiloh.
Information System Technician Seaman Austin Burger is serving aboard the forward-deployed Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
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 highly sophisticated Aegis weapons system to driving the ship and operating small boats.
Navy Information Systems Technicians are specialists at ensuring off-ship connectivity and protecting the ship’s cyber security.
“Being from a more secluded area, I never had a chance to protect network communications.” said Burger. “Getting this experience has made me rethink how I approach things.”
With more than 50 percent of the world’s shipping tonnage and 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.
“The lifestyle out here is rough but essential.” Said Burger. “We have needs that have to be met and with the amount of time we spend doing our job we are very competent at making that happen.”
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“When I first got to Japan I didn’t like anything about it.” Said Burger. “But the more time I spent out in town experiencing everything I found that there is a lot to love about Japan.”
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, and small arms.
Sailors play a vital role in the overall military mission around the world.
Shiloh is operating as part of the Ronald Reagan Strike Group in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of its allies and partners in the region.
For more information on USS Shiloh and other forward-deployed ships in Japan, visit https://www.facebook.com/CTF70.
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.07.2020 00:22 |
| Story ID: | 380393 |
| Location: | AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Livonia, Michigan, native serves aboard USS Shiloh, by LTJG Luke Lanham, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
