Georgetown High graduate serving in Bahrain aboard the USS Sentry
A 2013 Georgetown High School graduate and Georgetown native is helping the U.S. Navy keep sea lanes safe and open in the Middle East, serving on the mine countermeasures ship USS Sentry.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Wilder is a Navy mineman and lives and works at a Navy base in Manama, Bahrain, where Sentry is based.
A Navy mineman is responsible for sweeping and hunting waterways for mines to provide safe passage for ships.
“My job is very rewarding, as without us international trade would suffer,” said Wilder.
The Sentry was commissioned in 1993 and is the first Navy ship to bear this name. It is one of the Navy’s 11 Avenger class mine countermeasures ships that are designed to remove mines from vital waterways and harbors.
“I like the close-knit community and the fact that everyone is recognized for their dedication,” said Wilder.
The Sentry is 224 feet long, 39 feet wide and displaces 1,312 tons of water. It is powered by four diesel engines and can reach speeds of more than 16 mph.
As a member of the crew, Wilder and other Sentry sailors are part of a forward deployed naval forces team that is relied upon to help protect and defend America on the world’s oceans.
I am a better leader and I have a better work ethic since I have joined the Navy.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert Wilder
“I get to travel the world, while earning pay for doing so,” said Wilder.
As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, deployed halfway around the world away from friends and family back home, Wilder said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person.
“I am a better leader and I have a better work ethic since I have joined the Navy,” said Wilder.
This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 6:44 AM with the headline "Georgetown High graduate serving in Bahrain aboard the USS Sentry."