Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Oblander | EAST CHINA SEA (MAY 6, 2022) Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Mateo Mosquera poses for a...... read more read more
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A Tampa, Florida native and 2013 graduate of Gaither High School is serving aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) while conducting operations in the Philippine Sea.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Mateo Mosquera joined the Navy during the summer of 2013 and is a Personnel Specialist, also known as PS, serving aboard Dewey, which is forward-deployed to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.
PS’s provide Sailors with information and counseling on topics ranging from Navy occupations to education and job training opportunities to requirements for promotion. PS’s also maintain and audit pay and maintain personnel records of personnel at their commands.
“I chose my rate because I was originally an undesignated Seaman in deck division,” said Mosquera. “I wanted a position where I could have a direct impact on Sailors and being a PS allows me to do so by ensuring that the Sailors and their families ashore are being taken care of.”
No matter what a Sailor’s rate is, they make up an important piece of the giant puzzle that is the United States Navy. Every Sailor has their part to play and Mosquera explained why his rate was vital to the success of the Navy’s mission.
“Being a PS is vital to the Navy because without PS’s, Sailors would not have the Human Resources support afloat and ashore to assist with their pay and personnel needs,” explained Mosquera. “If a Sailor isn’t getting paid or paid on time, it causes a snowball effect on them and their family ashore causing the Sailor to not perform on the job due to financial problems. When a Sailor is getting paid correctly and on time it allows the Sailor to focus on their job and that leads to increased Sailor productivity.”
Dewey recently shifted homeports from San Diego to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan and Mosquera was glad to be able to return to the country.
“I really enjoy being stationed in Japan,” said Mosquera. “This is my second tour out in Yokosuka. I was here from 2013 to 2017 and was ecstatic to be stationed here again. I love the food and the culture here. I particularly enjoy Shibuya and the surrounding cities.”
Even though Mosquera is enjoying his time in Japan, he did highlight one of the challenges of serving in the military.
“My wife and son are extremely supportive of what I am out here doing, said Mosquera. “They’re in San Diego right now. It’s hard being away from them for such a long time, but I couldn’t do this without their support.”
Along with having a great support system back home, it’s equally important to have a good support system at work too and Mosquera shared what he has learned from those around him and how he hopes to apply it to his own leadership skills.
“I have had some great leaders in my career,” said Mosquera. “Everything has been a teaching moment and there is always room for growth as a PS. But I think that the best advice I have received on a personal level is to make sure I always stay focused on the big picture and always keep moving forward towards the goal no matter what obstacles may come along the way. I hope to inspire the people around me by leading by example and actually caring for them as people and making sure that I am always fighting for them in every situation.”
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: | 05.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.04.2022 20:41 |
| Story ID: | 424300 |
| Location: | YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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