Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Baley | Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Eilish Barnes, assigned to Commander,...... read more read more
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YOKOSUKA, Japan -- A Sacramento, California native and Bella Vista High School graduate is currently serving in the Navy and stationed in Yokosuka, Japan as part of Commander, Submarine Group 7 (CSG 7).
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Eilish Barnes joined the Navy in June 2018 and was assigned to CSG 7 for her first tour. She spent her first two years on the Broadcast Controlling Authority (BCA) watchfloor, communicating with and monitoring message traffic from submarines, before moving to Automated Data Processing (ADP), where she still works currently. There, her primary duties include maintaining the network infrastructure of the building, ensuring communication systems work so staff can accomplish their daily tasks.
Submarine Group 7 is responsible for coordinating a diverse fleet of submarines, surface ships and aircraft deployed to the Western Pacific and the Middle East; two forward-deployed submarine tenders and two attack submarines homeported in Guam; Submarine Squadron 21 in Bahrain; five ocean surveillance ships when tasked for theater anti-submarine warfare operations, and two oceanographic survey vessels. Under CSG 7 are two task forces: CTF-74 and CTF-54, which provide theater anti-submarine warfare support from the Red Sea to the International Date Line.
“My favorite thing about working here is meeting people from different walks of life,” said Barnes. “You’re exposed to so many different types of personalities and backgrounds, and if you ask anybody why they joined the Navy, they all have the different answers. It’s really interesting to see everybody’s lives come together.”
Barnes arrived at CSG 7 when she was 18, and by the time she was she 20, she was in a leading role as part of the BCA watch team. In executing that role and working with people that could be upwards of ten years older than her, she learned how to stand her ground and not be shy or withdrawn.
“Never be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and try things that you thought you would never try before,” said Barnes. “When you challenge yourself and start making your way to accomplish something that you've always wanted to do, something you thought you could never do, it's a really good feeling, and it gives you that confidence to just keep trying new things and experiencing the fun things of life.”
Barnes challenged herself not only on the watchfloor and in ADP, but outside of work as well.
“My main goal was to get a degree by the time that I left here, and I have one more course until I will have earned my associate degree in computer technology,” said Barnes. “My other goal was to kind of discover who I am. I got here when I was 18, so I basically grew up here, grew into adulthood here. It's been really nice going out into mainland Japan and exploring and finding what I like, what I don't like.”
When not working, Barnes said she likes to take time to relax by going out and reading while enjoying nature.
While she has gained great leadership experience and enjoyed the opportunity to live abroad, Petty Officer Barnes has decided that this tour will be her last in the Navy. Barnes will finish her assignment in March and plans to return to Sacramento. After some time off to relax and see loved ones, she intends to use her G.I. Bill to enroll in training to become an MRI technician.
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.01.2021 02:30 |
| Story ID: | 408414 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 294 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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