1 00:00:00,970 --> 00:00:04,070 - So I actually heard from quite a few people 2 00:00:04,070 --> 00:00:07,810 that coming out to Seventh Fleet was gonna be really tough. 3 00:00:07,810 --> 00:00:10,486 - Honestly, pretty scary. 4 00:00:10,486 --> 00:00:12,600 - When I first got ordered to Japan, 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,440 I was highly nervous, you know, it's got AA school and such. 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,380 - So I came just with my two boys, 7 00:00:18,380 --> 00:00:21,227 not knowing anybody going overseas, no family. 8 00:00:21,227 --> 00:00:23,540 - And I heard, you know, a whole bunch of stories 9 00:00:23,540 --> 00:00:26,707 about how a Seventh Fleet's real stressful, and high tempo. 10 00:00:26,707 --> 00:00:29,302 - And there was a lot of, like, really scary 11 00:00:29,302 --> 00:00:31,950 at the time, seeming factors. 12 00:00:31,950 --> 00:00:34,070 - But, I don't think it should, 13 00:00:34,070 --> 00:00:35,860 it shouldn't weigh heavy on you, 14 00:00:35,860 --> 00:00:38,209 because everything else makes up for it. 15 00:00:38,209 --> 00:00:39,870 (pensive music) 16 00:00:39,870 --> 00:00:40,850 - [Speaker 1] I've been in Japan 17 00:00:40,850 --> 00:00:45,270 for just about three years now, and I absolutely love it. 18 00:00:45,270 --> 00:00:48,550 - [Speaker 3] I was in Japan almost my whole adulthood. 19 00:00:48,550 --> 00:00:50,187 - [Speaker 1] I'm on my second tour in Japan. 20 00:00:50,187 --> 00:00:52,700 - [Speaker 3] You know, I got here was I was 19. 21 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:54,340 - [Speaker 2] For my second tour in Japan. 22 00:00:54,340 --> 00:00:55,970 - [Speaker 3] I feel at home when I'm here, you know? 23 00:00:55,970 --> 00:00:57,620 I know where everything's at. 24 00:00:57,620 --> 00:01:00,546 - [Speaker 2] We got here in June of 2012. 25 00:01:00,546 --> 00:01:03,859 - [Speaker 3] You know, I have my first everything here. 26 00:01:03,859 --> 00:01:07,869 - [Speaker 3] I've been in Japan for 13 years now. 27 00:01:07,869 --> 00:01:11,202 (Feudal Japanese music) 28 00:01:14,777 --> 00:01:16,430 - The great thing for families out here, 29 00:01:16,430 --> 00:01:20,840 is just the level of security out here I think. 30 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,610 - Initially the culture shock was the people. 31 00:01:25,610 --> 00:01:27,330 They where really nice. 32 00:01:27,330 --> 00:01:29,490 - [Speaker 5] They're so willing to help if you just ask. 33 00:01:29,490 --> 00:01:32,060 - Yeah, it, I felt like it would help me grow 34 00:01:32,060 --> 00:01:35,770 as an individual, and see more cultures 35 00:01:35,770 --> 00:01:37,996 than I had ever seen before. 36 00:01:37,996 --> 00:01:40,020 - [Speaker 7] I think that first weekend I was here, 37 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:42,190 I was already exploring. 38 00:01:42,190 --> 00:01:44,410 - To Mount Fuji, to cherry blossom season, 39 00:01:44,410 --> 00:01:47,110 to Spanish festivals. 40 00:01:47,110 --> 00:01:49,240 - It's always a new experience, 41 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,870 and there's always something to do somewhere. 42 00:01:51,870 --> 00:01:55,099 - To...It gave me my certification as a ninja. 43 00:01:55,099 --> 00:01:58,290 - Very family friendly, they got a lot of festivals. 44 00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:01,363 - [Speaker 8] They got the big old Gundam statue, Godzilla. 45 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,113 Things that kids of all ages can get into. 46 00:02:06,850 --> 00:02:10,430 - I mean if you don't like big robots, man, I don't know. 47 00:02:10,430 --> 00:02:12,513 (laughs) 48 00:02:13,410 --> 00:02:16,730 - And that's, something I've done since I got to Japan, 49 00:02:16,730 --> 00:02:21,080 just get on a train and just go to a random spot on the map, 50 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,363 and just go explore it. 51 00:02:28,410 --> 00:02:31,300 - [Speaker 6] My goal was to go somewhere that I could 52 00:02:31,300 --> 00:02:32,690 become the best at my job. 53 00:02:32,690 --> 00:02:35,340 I wanted to be completely in the mix of things, 54 00:02:35,340 --> 00:02:38,670 I wanted to be underway, I wanted to be, like, 55 00:02:38,670 --> 00:02:42,030 fully, fully immersed in what the Navy is. 56 00:02:42,030 --> 00:02:44,910 - [Speaker 5] A lot of this knowledge that you're getting 57 00:02:44,910 --> 00:02:47,340 just from doing your job day in and day out, 58 00:02:47,340 --> 00:02:49,510 at a high operational tempo. 59 00:02:49,510 --> 00:02:51,640 That's the kind of stuff that you're gonna be seeing 60 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:52,856 on your Advancement exam, when you're going up for 61 00:02:52,856 --> 00:02:56,406 Third, Second, First, especially. 62 00:02:56,406 --> 00:02:58,150 - [Speaker 7] And it makes you a better sailor, 63 00:02:58,150 --> 00:03:02,170 just getting all the experience that you get out here. 64 00:03:02,170 --> 00:03:05,480 - [Speaker 1] It's a lot more fun, and not nearly as scary 65 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,507 once you actually experience it. 66 00:03:07,507 --> 00:03:08,520 - [Speaker 8] The people on board, you know, 67 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,823 they work with you, you know, they become... 68 00:03:11,823 --> 00:03:16,040 they welcome you, then you become a family. 69 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,630 You know, and that's what I think that helped more. 70 00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:21,160 - [Speaker 2] Because, we know that this is it. 71 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,950 This is our family, family away from home. 72 00:03:24,950 --> 00:03:25,783 - [Speaker 7] But, professionally, 73 00:03:25,783 --> 00:03:29,040 if you want to be the best at your job that you can be, 74 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:30,403 come to Seventh Fleet. 75 00:03:32,430 --> 00:03:34,780 - Although I did not initially 76 00:03:35,850 --> 00:03:37,700 choose my first set of orders, 77 00:03:37,700 --> 00:03:39,890 I choose my second set, because I love Japan. 78 00:03:39,890 --> 00:03:43,990 And I thank the Navy so much for letting me be here. 79 00:03:43,990 --> 00:03:48,100 - Because at first I'm like, oh career, yes, 80 00:03:48,100 --> 00:03:52,806 family, yes yes, but, it's done both. 81 00:03:52,806 --> 00:03:54,690 - Man, I don't know, I could talk about Japan 82 00:03:54,690 --> 00:03:57,580 for like, five days straight and still not be done, 83 00:03:57,580 --> 00:03:58,413 so I'm not.. 84 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,660 - My first LPL told me, if you have a successful tour 85 00:04:02,660 --> 00:04:05,130 in Seventh Fleet, in your rate, 86 00:04:05,130 --> 00:04:07,790 you can pretty much handle anything in the Navy. 87 00:04:07,790 --> 00:04:10,973 - I'd do, you know, five more tours here if I could. 88 00:04:11,850 --> 00:04:13,361 - Yes, I live by that. 89 00:04:13,361 --> 00:04:14,863 Fully, whole-heartedly. 90 00:04:18,110 --> 00:04:21,900 - And I was always on of those people who thought to myself, 91 00:04:21,900 --> 00:04:23,600 hmm, like, that'd be really cool, 92 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,490 but I'LL probably never do it. 93 00:04:25,490 --> 00:04:29,731 I took the leap, I came to Japan, and I absolutely loved it. 94 00:04:29,731 --> 00:04:33,300 And I really hope that it can work out for you as well. 95 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:37,217 (Feudal Japanese music swells)