SASEBO, Japan – A Marysville native is serving in Guam in the U.S. Navy aboard the expeditionary submarine tender USS Emory S. Land. Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Ainsworth is an information systems technician, serving on one of two sub tenders in the Navy. The ship deploys to protect alliances, enhance partnerships and respond if a natural disaster occurs in the region. Ainsworth is responsible for electronic mail systems, shipboard control systems and special intelligence systems. He has a broad range of responsibilities, including network administration, database management, and computer hardware and software implementation. Ainsworth fondly recalls memories of Marysville. “I played a lot of sports growing up so I learned teamwork,” he said. “This helps in the Navy because we work with so many other people – you are a part of a team, act like it and be understanding of everyone.” 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 historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. With a crew of 42 officers and 600 enlisted, submarine tenders are 649 feet long and weigh approximately 23,493 tons. Their mission is to provide maintenance, repairs, hotel services, weapons reload and logistics support to deployed guided-missile and fast-attack submarines. Both of the Navy’s submarine tenders are homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam. “I’ve enjoyed being deployed here,” Ainsworth said. “We were ported in Guam for two years and it was nice to experience another culture… I see the world in a bigger perspective.”