Beaumont Native
Participates in World’s
Largest International
Maritime Warfare
Exercise
By Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2014 East
Chambers High School graduate and Beaumont, Texas native is serving in the U.S.
Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise
known as the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 3rd Class Elijah
Morgan is a gunner's mate aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently operating out of
San Diego, California.
A Navy gunner's mate is
responsible for maintaining the vertical launching system used to launch land-attack and anti-ship cruise
missiles.
Morgan is looking forward to
applying the lessons learned from Beaumont to working in the Navy.
“I learned that it's always
worth it to work hard,” said Morgan.
"It's definitely shaped my mentality in the Navy.”
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,” according to Navy officials. The
participating nations and forces will 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
amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense
exercises, as well as counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive
ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations.
“I'm really looking forward
to being able to launch a missile during RIMPAC,” said Morgan.
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.
This year will also feature live firing of a Long Range
Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a U.S. Air Force aircraft, surface to ship
missiles by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and a Naval Strike Missile
(NSM) from a launcher on the back of a Palletized Load System (PLS) by the U.S.
Army. This marks the first time a land based unit will participate in the live
fire event during RIMPAC. RIMPAC 2018 will also include international band
engagements and highlight fleet innovation during an Innovation Fair.
“I'm proud to be able to shoot shot lines over to other
ships during underway replenishments,” said Morgan. "It's one of the only
times we get to shoot firearms in a non-training situation."
Twenty-six nations, 46 surface ships, five submarines, 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, Brazil, 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,
Morgan and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond
their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“The Navy has shown me that I
can work with others in a team setting more than I realized,” said Morgan.
“Serving in the Navy means I get to carry on a family tradition of serving in the military. My dad was in the Army and my grandfather was in the Air Force. They both were my
inspiration for joining."