Oceanside sailor keeping America safe

Cytological Technician 2nd Class Timothy Kear, from Oceanside, tracks surface contacts on radar aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman. He is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The operation is a Joint Task Force conducting targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of a strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq, or ISIL. The Navy is using strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.

Last July CNN reported laser devices from an Iranian flagged merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden targeted his ship and a helicopter in the bridge area. No one was hurt and no equipment damaged according to the story. The Navy did not feel the laser was military equipment since there was no damage. The ship was “conducting routine maritime operations,” and was in international waters off Yemen according to the report. Ships patrol that area looking for signs Iran is smuggling weapons into Yemen.

His father, Steven Kear, said he spoke to his son soon after. “I got a little nervous, but he told me ‘Dad don’t worry we’ve got this covered’, he is just so confident and proud. I can’t talk to him too often, maybe once every two months when he can call me.”

There are four Kear boys; all four of them were featured performers in Island Park Theatre Group shows over the years. Andrew has gone on to off Broadway Theatre, and recently appears at 54 Below in New York City.

Two, Timothy and Christopher, the oldest, are in the Navy, Christopher is now a nuclear engineer. Matthew, the youngest, wants to follow in their footsteps.

“They are good boys”, father Steven said, “because they put others first.”