Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jonathan Word | CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (April 6, 2022) U.S. Navy Yeoman 1st Class Jie Chen, a Navy...... read more read more
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On Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), the U.S.’s only permanent base on the continent of Africa, the N4 Supply Department supports nearly all the operations that take place on the installation. N4 ensures that the vehicles on base have fuel, that ships that pull into the nearby port can resupply, that the 27 tenant commands on base have the supplies they need to do their jobs, and that the over 5,000 deployed service members on camp receive their mail and have food to eat.
CLDJ’s N4 Supply Department helps the base accomplish its mission. People like U.S. Navy Yeoman 1st Class Jie Chen, a Navy Reserve Sailor from New York, and the N4 Department’s Administrative Lead Petty Officer is a key driver behind N4’s people and processes.
“She keeps everything running smoothly in this office,” says Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Wendy Castleton, the senior enlisted leader of the N4 department, and YN1 Chen’s immediate supervisor. “We would not be as on-track as we are without her here. We have procurement, the post office, the galley, fuels, the hazmat yard, cargo and customs. She makes sure the process for incoming and outgoing personnel goes smoothly and that people feel welcomed. She really is an asset.”
Many Sailors have a unique story about their decision to serve in the Navy and the path they took along the way. Chen’s Navy story could only begin after she made another momentous decision in her life, the decision to leave China and move to the United States.
“I graduated from college in China,” says Chen. “My major in China was English Education. I was supposed to be an English teacher if I had stayed. I thought, maybe with my English, I could just go to the states and see how it is.”
Chen came to the U.S. in 2011 where she found herself living in New York where her aunt and uncle lived. She only stayed put for a short time, because she wanted to see what the rest of the country was like.
“I joined the military one year after I moved to the states,” says Chen. “In New York, there is Chinatown, and usually when people come, they just stay in Chinatown, sometimes for a few years, sometimes forever. I did not want to stay there. What is the point? That’s not the real states. I wanted to see the real states and have real experiences. In the Navy, you also get to go on a ship and see the countries you pull into. That is why I joined the Navy.”
Chen served for four years on active duty, and she has served over 4 years as a U.S. Navy Reservist. She voluntarily deployed to Djibouti where she impacts the Navy’s mission readiness every day.
“YN1 Chen is absolutely vital to our department,” says Cmdr. Mark Kuntze, the supply officer of CLDJ. There are a lot of moving parts, and I could not do my job as the commander of this department if it wasn’t for her. YN1 is the alternator that keeps the team’s personnel engine running, and we could not get from point A to point B without someone like her.
CLDJ serves as an expeditionary base for U.S. military forces providing support to ships, aircraft and personnel that ensure security throughout Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. The base enables maritime and combat operations in the Horn of Africa while fostering positive U.S.-Africa relations.
| Date Taken: | 04.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2022 09:23 |
| Story ID: | 417919 |
| Location: | DJ |
| Hometown: | NEW YORK, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, YN1 Chen is CLDJ's Sailor in the Spotlight, by PO1 Jonathan Word, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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