YOKOSUKA, Japan – Ensign Theresa Erbach initially joined the military for the benefit of a free education at the U.S. Naval Academy.

“As I went along, I liked the idea of a challenge, of doing something I was very unfamiliar with and having that be my introduction to the world,” Erbach, a Huntsville native, said.

Now, Erbach serves with Commander, Naval Forces Japan, to support the U.S. 7th Fleet in one of the world’s busiest maritime regions.

“It’s hectic and volatile,” Erbach said. “It can be a little crazy.” She graduated from Grissom High School in 2014.

“The bonds you form with people out here are really close. I love the wardroom on my ship. It’s got some of the best people I’ve ever met,” Erbach said.

Erbach is a surface warfare officer candidate and is forward-deployed at a Navy installation in Yokosuka, Japan, which is 43 miles south of Tokyo. Currently, she serves as the command assistant training officer. On the Shiloh, she is the electronics warfare officer who manages and maintains all radars.

“Optimism has carried me a really long way,” Erbach said. “Along with that, empathy. It’s such a team effort.”

“If you don’t understand the people you’re working with, and times get tough, which they will, things will be difficult,” Erbach said. “Adaptability and the ability to react to change have really gotten me through.”

“It’s really cool that, you get here, and unless you speak the language, on your own culturally, and it makes the base tight-knit,” Erbach said. “We’re kind of doing our own thing out here.”

Erbach is proud of her Naval Academy commissioning but admitted it was difficult. “I struggled to find myself,” she said. “The biggest thing was finding out what kind of person I was. Toward the end, as I accrued more responsibility and still wondered what I’d do with my life, I discovered (it’s) a necessary step. I’ve already learned so much.”

“It’s such a good idea to serve,” Erbach said. “It teaches so many important life lessons. You learn so much about yourself and come out a better person.”

The Navy Office of Community Outreach or NAVCO produced this information. Lt. Jake Joy researched the article.

The Media Outreach Department with the Navy Office of Community Outreach is located in Millington, Tenn. For more information, visit outreach.navy.mil, Facebook/Navy Outreach, Twitter @NavyOutreach or Instagram @US_Navy_Outreach.