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 South West Dekalb High School graduate and Atlanta native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Midshipman 1st Class Uriah Woodyard-Fair is one of few midshipmen attending RIMPAC aboard USS William P. Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Woodyard-Fair applies the lessons she learned from Atlanta to her work in the Navy.
“Don’t be fearful,” said Woodyard-Fair. “You have to believe in yourself in order for others to believe you.”
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’m looking forward to seeing the other nations,” said Woodyard-Fair. “I'm excited about sharing my experiences with my midshipman back at Morehouse College in Altanta.”
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, Woodyard-Fair and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means protecting my family,” said Woodyard-Fair. “I am the first in my family to serve. Being in the Navy taught me not to sell myself short. It is an honor to be in this uniform.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil