Lenoir, NC Sailor Supports U.S. Navy Mission in Far-East Theater

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Weber | 191027-N-NT769-003 MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 27, 2019) - Logistics Specialist 1st Class Lissa Holsclaw, a resident of Lenoir, NC, outside the Navy Operational Support Center Minneapolis. Holsclaw is assigned to Navy Reserve, Commander Naval Forces Japan Headquarters, a 171-member Navy Reserve unit supporting the U.S. Navy's shore installations in Japan, Singapore and Diego Garcia. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gabriel S. Weber/Released)  

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, UNITED STATES

10.27.2019

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Weber 

Navy Reserve, Commander Naval Forces Japan, Headquarters

At a small Navy Reserve facility in Minneapolis, Petty Officer 1st Class Lissa Holsclaw, a resident of Lenoir, North Carolina, is one of more than 170 U.S. Navy sailors who gathered to support their parent command, a major Navy unit nearly 6,000 miles away, Oct. 24-27.

These sailors, assigned to Navy Reserve, Commander Naval Forces Japan (NR CNFJ) Headquarters, are the Reserve force supporting the U.S. Navy’s shore installations in Japan, Singapore and Diego Garcia. The Far-East Security Symposium (FESS), is a four-day event conducted by NR CNFJ to sharpen the unit’s ability to support the active-duty component.

“FESS is an opportunity for us,” said Capt. Dinis Pimentel, NR CNFJ’s commanding officer. “It allows us to gather our sailors under one roof and focus on building the knowledge and skills each individual needs to accomplish our mission.”

Sailors assigned to NR CNFJ provide essential support to their active-duty counterparts in Japan, fulfilling critical manpower needs for exercises with other U.S. military branches and partner nations.

To prepare for this, FESS attendees participate in training scenarios designed to mimic the real-world events they respond to in the Japan region.

“Simulating conditions after a natural disaster is a chance for us to renew skills that we will use as we support the U.S. Navy in the Japan region,” said Holsclaw, a logistics specialist.

In addition to the training, FESS provides sailors like Holsclaw the opportunity to explore the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and a valuable opportunity to interact with their fellow sailors from across the nation.

“The time invested in creating an espirit de corps with my Navy teammates is always important,” Holsclaw said. “It is a significant contributor to our success while deployed, especially in high-stress working environments.”

“The training is crucial, but building those professional relationships also pays dividends when we deploy as a group to support the U.S. Navy’s mission in the Japan region,” added Pimentel.

For more news from Commander Naval Forces Japan, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cnfj.
For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.socm/usnavy.

• Date Taken: 10.27.2019
• Date Posted: 10.28.2019 10:13
• Story ID: 349444
• Location: MINNEAPOLIS, MN, US
• Hometown: LENOIR, NC, US