By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Electa Berassa, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2015 Villa Park High School graduate and Anaheim, California, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 3rd Class Zachary B. Elliott is a gunner's mate aboard USS William P. Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A Navy gunner's mate is responsible for maintaining missiles on the ship as well as their canisters and air conditioning within the launchers.
Elliott applies the lessons he learned from Anaheim to his work in the Navy.
“My parents taught me hard work and show generosity which is important in the Navy,” said Elliott.
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2018 is Capable, Adaptive, Partners. The participating nations and forces exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program includes, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations.
“I would like to get to know more about the Indian Navy during RIMPAC,” said Elliott.
This is the first time Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating in RIMPAC. Additional firsts include New Zealand serving as sea combat commander and Chile serving as combined force maritime component commander. This is the first time a non-founding RIMPAC nation (Chile) will hold a component commander leadership position.
Twenty-six nations, 46 surface ships, five submarines, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise. This year's exercise includes forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Elliott and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“To me, serving in the Navy means we will sacrifice our lives if we need to, and protect the United States,” said Elliott. “It also means putting yourself aside. It’s taught me that if you are not ready and able, the Navy will make you ready and able for the next thing.”