Baker Co. sailor serves aboard brand new Navy ship

Petty Officer 1st Class Jamie Z. Osborne is a logistics specialist aboard the Zumwalt.

BATH, Maine – A 1997 Baker County High School graduate and Glenn St. Mary native is serving aboard one of the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced ships, the destroyer Zumwalt, which is currently under construction at Bath Iron Works.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jamie Z. Osborne is a logistics specialist aboard the Zumwalt, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016. Once the Zumwalt is commissioned, it will receive the familiar United States Ship (USS) designation and become USS Zumwalt.

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Built with a stealth-like design intended to reduce the ship's radar profile, the Zumwalt's futuristic appearance seems fitting given that the ship's commanding officer is Capt. James Kirk.

The ship has advanced technologies in every area -- engines, power systems, weapons systems, shipboard electronics and sensors -- making it one of the world's most capable ships. When at sea, Zumwalt will perform a variety of missions, including attacking targets on land with gunfire and cruise missiles, hunting and tracking submarines, airspace surveillance and support to special operations forces.

Longer than two football fields, the ship is 80 feet wide and weighs more than 15,000 long tons when fully loaded. Twin gas turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 30 knots. Zumwalt is named in honor of Adm. Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt Jr., who served as Chief of Naval Operations, the Navy's most senior uniformed officer, from 1970-1974.

Osborne said it is an exciting time to be in the Navy, helping to build a crew and a ship from scratch, something she never expected to be doing just a couple years ago. She also said she is proud of the work she is doing to help commission and man one of the Navy's newest ships. As a 36 year-old with numerous responsibilities, Osborne said she is learning about herself as a leader, sailor and a person. "I've developed my confidence," said Osborne. "The Navy has helped me be more outgoing and taught me discipline."

"USS Zumwalt represents the beginning of another era of service for this great name," said Kirk. "Just as Adm. Zumwalt helped shape our nation's Navy as the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, this ship will help shape the future of surface combatants. The sophisticated new technologies incorporated aboard this ship, combined with its multi-mission capabilities, will ensure it is a relevant and integral part of our battle force for years to come."