By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2003 Santa Monica High School graduate and Belfair, Washington, 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 1st Class Brian Kovnat is an intelligence specialist aboard USS William P. Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Kovnat is responsible for supervising intelligence personnel, and making sure maintenance on intelligence equipment is completed.
He is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from growing up to working in the Navy.
“I learned the value of proving myself and not judging others until they've proven themselves to me,” said Kovnat.
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 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 looking forward to seeing the bigger picture of RIMPAC and working with all the different countries,” said Kovnat. "This will be the first exercise I'll actually be participating in at the tactical level."
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 have qualified as a Navy surface rescue swimmer in 2005,” said Kovnat.
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, 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, Kovnat and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I've learned how to adapt to different people in a leadership position,” said Kovnat. "Everyone has their own motivators, and I've learned how to find them in order to bring everyone together to complete the mission."