MANAMA, Bahrain - A 1997 Lehighton Area High School graduate is serving overseas aboard the U.S. Navy Coastal Patrol Ship USS Thunderbolt, living and working at a Navy base in Manama, Bahrain.

Chief John Patterson is a boatswain's mate on the Bahrain-based ship. Bahrain is a small-island country situated near the western shores of the Arabian Gulf.A Navy boatswain's mate directs and supervises all activities on board the ship that relate to seamanship."I enjoy interacting with all the sailors on board," said Patterson. "We have a small crew so I like teaching and seeing everyone learn all the jobs on board the ship."Thunderbolt was commissioned in 1995 and is one of the Navy's 13 Cyclone class ships designed for coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance.These ships provide the U.S. Navy with a fast, reliable platform that can respond to crises in a shallow water environment."Because our ship is small you have opportunities to obtain qualifications that you normally wouldn't be able to get on a larger ship," Patterson said.Thunderbolt is 179 feet long, 25 feet wide and is powered by four diesel engines and can reach speeds of more than 40 mph. Its armament is made up of eight total machine guns and two grenade launchers: two MK 38 25mm machine guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, two M60 machine guns and two MK 19 40mm automatic grenade launchers.With approximately four officers and 25 enlisted composing the ship's company, jobs are highly varied, which keeps the ship mission ready.As a member of the crew, Patterson and other Thunderbolt sailors know they are part of a forward-deployed naval forces team that is heavily relied upon to help protect and defend America on the world's oceans."On deployment the mission is never the same," Patterson said. "It's constantly evolving and always changing and obviously the port visits are great."In addition to Thunderbolt, another seven Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships and two Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships are forward deployed in Bahrain.The world is increasingly complex and crew members aboard Thunderbolt, as well as the other forward-deployed naval vessels in Bahrain, assist with assuring international sea lines between the Middle East and Europe remain open and help protect against possible maritime threats.As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, deployed halfway around the world away from friends and family back home, Patterson said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person."In the Navy, you learn time management and people skills as well as what life is all about," said Patterson.