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Mount Pleasant Native Serves with the U.S. Navy Half a World Away with Branch Health Clinic Sasebo
Hospitalman Recruit Agustina Johnson
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach.
SASEBO, Japan- A Mount Pleasant, Texas, native and 2017 Mount Pleasant High School graduate is serving U.S. Navy with U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka (USNH Yokosuka), Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Sasebo.
Hospitalman Recruit Agustina Johnson is serving with BHC Sasebo, operating out of Sasebo, Japan.
A Navy hospitaman is responsible for the prevention and treatment of disease and injury, assisting health care professionals in providing medical care to personnel, conducting preliminary physical examinations, performing medical administrative, supply and accounting procedures, and maintaining treatment records and reports.
Johnson is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Mount Pleasant.
“Growing up I learned respect, so it was a smooth transition into military bearing,” said Johnson.
Moments like that make it worth serving around the world ready at all times to defend America’s interests. With more than 50 percent of the world’s shipping tonnage and a third of the world’s crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historical and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy’s presence in Sasebo is part of that long-standing commitment, explained Navy officials.
BHC is a branch health clinic of USNH Yokosuka. Yokosuka and Sasebo together are the most extensive U.S. military treatment facilities on mainland Japan. Branch health annexes are located at Camp Fuji and Hario, while Branch health clinics are in Iwakuni, and Atsugi in mainland Japan; Chinhae, Korea on the southern tip of South Korea; and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
“You make a difference every day,” said Deputy Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Joey Dodgen. “We are the most prepared, highly trained and the most capable force in the Indo Pacific. Our carriers, amphibious assault ships, aircraft and most importantly, our people, are ready today to face regional challenges and lead our Navy’s forces in this theater, just as the officers and Sailors of 7th Fleet have done for 75 years. So thank you for all that you do.”
The hospital provides all medical, dental, and emergency services. BHC Sasebo strives to be the premier provider of healthcare to active duty forces and their families in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region through Joint Partnerships.
“I love the culture here in Japan,” said Johnson. “It’s completely different from the culture back in the states. The best part about my job in being able to care for the number of people I receive. It was always something that I loved to do, and I get a sense of family here. It feels like you are never alone.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Johnson and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“The Navy taught me leadership and the importance of respect and how to prioritize better,” said Johnson. “Serving in the Navy allows me to give back to the country I love.”
Seventh Fleet, which is celebrating its 75th year in 2018, spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. Seventh Fleet’s area of operation encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 sailors in the 7th Fleet.