Capt. Joseph C. Sharp of Highland has assumed command of Navy Reserve Unit Commander Naval Forces Korea. Sharp took over from Capt. Russell Ervin of Kirkland, Wash., on Nov. 4 in Port Hueneme, Calif.
Sharp is a 13-year resident of Highland and has previously commanded four other Navy reserve units, including two in Utah.
Following 9/11, Sharp was deployed to the North Arabian Sea to coordinate submarine operations during Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Commander Naval Forces Korea unit in Port Hueneme is the parent command for all Navy reservists with duties in Korea, which includes approximately 350 sailors from California, Texas, Missouri and Iowa. CNFK is the regional commander for the U.S. Navy in the Republic of Korea and provides leadership and expertise in naval matters to area military commanders, including the Commander for the United Nations Command, the Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command, and Commander, United States Forces Korea. It also serves as liaison to the Republic of Korea Navy, the Combined Forces Commander staff in armistice and in wartime to the Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka.
"The Navy mission in Korea is exciting," Sharp said. "There are many changes occurring, and the relationship with the Republic of Korea is strong and growing stronger. I'm proud to be chosen to be a part of the dynamic and exciting work in Korea. The men and women in CNFK are carrying on a 50-year tradition of defending democracy and freedom."