Petty Officer 1st Class Jasmine Price, a Bainbridge, Georgia, native, was the first person to join the military from her family.

Now, four years later and half a world away at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Price serves at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) / U.S. 5th fleet.

“Being somewhere new is a culture shock,” said Price.

Price, a graduate of Bainbridge High School, is a logistics specialist at U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.

“Logistics specialists are in charge of issuing and ordering any parts that the Navy needs,” said Price.

Price is a part of Task Force 57, which provides airborne maritime patrol and reconnaissance throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. The task force supports three task groups comprised of over 500 personnel, operating from three countries with three variants of P-3 Orion aircraft and the remotely-piloted Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (BAMS-D).

Price credits success at U.S. 5th Fleet, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Bainbridge.

“I learned how to be responsible which I have applied in my Naval career so far,” said Price.

U.S. 5th Fleet directs naval operations to ensure maritime security and stability in the Central Region, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean. They work with partner nations to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in international waterways.

“We order everything that is needed and if we do not have the parts, it will stop the flow of the mission,” said Price.

The Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of ocean, and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprised of 20 countries, includes three critical choke points; the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

“I have really enjoyed meeting a different culture and experiencing the Navy here,” said Price.

Serving in the Navy means Price is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

A key element of the Navy is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.

“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”

Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Price is most proud of being meritoriously advanced to first class petty officer this year.

“This means a lot to me because I stood out to my chain of command,” said Price.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Price and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving in the Navy means I get to experience the world and anywhere I go I always have family and friends that are my shipmates,” said Price.