Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Oblander | SOUTH CHINA SEA (Feb. 12, 2022) Gunner’s Mate Paul Carr, from Lewistown, Mont.,...... read more read more
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A Lewistown, Mont. native and 2010 graduate of The Bill Clinton Institute for American Studies is serving aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114).
Seaman Paul Michael Carr is a Gunner’s Mate, also known as GMs, serving aboard USS Ralph Johnson, forward-deployed to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.
GMs are the subject matter experts on all combat weapons in the Navy’s arsenal and Carr says that the Navy wouldn’t be able to accomplish one of its primary missions without GMs.
“For the last 80 or so years, the surface Navy has largely been a force of deterrence,” said Carr. “This strategy only works if your bite is the biggest in the yard. Without our combat weapons systems and those who operate them maintaining constant vigilance, our bark would be bigger than our bite. Without GMs, we would fail one of our primary missions.”
Everyone has their reasons for joining the Navy. Some want to improve their lives, while others want to see the world or do something that has a high impact on others. Carr joined the Navy looking for re-orientation.
“I was raised to live in service of others,” said Carr. “The longer I was at my civilian job, the less my life was oriented towards others and the more it was oriented towards serving myself. I joined the Navy to refocus and correct that orientation.”
Carr joined the Navy in July 2020 and serving in the Navy has cemented an opinion he has long held.
“I firmly believe, even more so now, that every American should spend time in a service capacity after high school, whether it be the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, or the military,” said Carr. “Service like that helps you to develop an understanding of your fellow man and can help you react from a place of empathy towards others.”
USS Ralph Johnson recently shifted homeports from Everett, Wash. to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka and Carr is looking forward to experiencing life in Japan.
“I love it here, so far,” said Carr. It isn’t home, but it is a place I can learn a lot from if I pay attention. I was previously stationed in Everett, Wash. Like any other country I’ve traveled to or lived in, I believe Japan deserves the respect of every foreign national who steps onto her shores. Like every other country, Japan is unique in her own right. So, unlike the United States, a country that I know, Japan requires taking the time to get to know her. This makes for a slower lifestyle than what I experienced in Washington, but I’m enjoying it here so far.”
While he is enjoying his time in Japan, Carr is actively thinking about the future and what he hopes to accomplish in the Navy.
“I will continue to guide my naval career in the direction of search and rescue operations,” said Carr. “There are specifics of course, but I’d rather share those once I’ve accomplished them.”
Ralph Johnson is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet and routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect critical regional partnerships.
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.22.2022 00:55 |
| Story ID: | 415010 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | LEWISTOWN, MONTANA, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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