Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Oblander | PHILIPPINE SEA (MAY 6, 2022) Operations Specialist Seaman Gavin Tyler, from Nashville,...... read more read more
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A Nashville, Tennessee native and 2020 graduate of Providence Hall High School is serving aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) while conducting operations in the Philippine Sea.
Seaman Gavin Tyler joined the Navy in April of 2020 and is an Operations Specialist, also known as OS, serving aboard USS Dewey, which is forward-deployed to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.
“An Operations Specialist works in CIC (Command Information Center),” said Tyler. “We track contacts on the surface, in the air, and underneath the surface of the water. We help keep the ship on mission by providing real time info on the world around us outside the ship.”
OS’ serve on every ship the Navy has to offer and maintain the ship’s displays of strategic and tactical information in CIC and Tyler shared why he chose his job:.
“When I went to choose my rate, I wanted to get contracted in Special Warfare, but I was also eager to join up,” explained Tyler. “I chose Operations Specialist because it’s an intelligence rate. I figured that there may be something from this rate that could apply to a Special Warfare rating and I figured it would be an interesting job to do while I worked to cross rate.”
In the simplest terms, OS’ are the long-range eyes of the ship, and Tyler explained why his rate is vital to accomplishing the ship’s mission:.
“Without an OS the ship would essentially be blind,” said Tyler. “While our lookouts can see up on the bridge, our equipment can see much farther and clearer which gives us a better idea of what’s going on around us. If we can’t see what’s happening around us, especially at night, then no one else on the ship can safely do their jobs.”
Dewey recently shifted homeports from San Diego to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka and while the goal to visit Japan is more recently developed than some of his other goals, Tyler is taking the time to enjoy everything the country has to offer.
“I love it!” Tyler said with great enthusiasm. “I’ve wanted to come to Japan since junior year of high school, and I’ve fallen in love with the country. It’s super convenient and the people are generally pretty nice. I might want to live here later on.”
When Tyler isn’t working or exploring Japan, he seizes the opportunity to relax and unwind.
“Sometimes I take the time to watch anime or read, but the biggest thing I do to relieve stress is workout,” said Tyler. “Having a sound body goes a long way towards the of building a strong mind.”
Being sound of body and mind is extremely important to Tyler, especially considering the goals that he has for his naval career.
“I want to join the SEAL Teams,” said Tyler. “For a long time, I’ve had a great respect for Special Operations and even more appreciation for the SEAL Teams. I want to be a part of the physically tough and mentally hard guys in that community.”
While the thought of joining the SEAL Teams motivates Tyler to work towards his future, he also explained how he’s constantly drawing motivation from the people around him on a day-to-day basis.
“Whenever I see people putting everything they have into their work, it fires me up,” said Tyler. “I’d like to fire people up when things get tough. When everyone feels beaten down, it sometimes takes that one person to get up and rally to. I strive to be that person whenever I can.”
Dewey 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: | 05.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2022 23:00 |
| Story ID: | 421251 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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