Bloomfield Native Participates in World’s Largest
International Maritime Warfare Exercise
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Electa Berassa,
Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A
2009 Bloomfield
High School graduate and Bloomfield,
New Jersey 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 1st Class
Juan D. Alvarez
is a gas turbine systems technician
(electrician) aboard USS Lake Champlain,
currently operating out of San Diego, California.
A Navy gas turbine systems technician (electrician) is
responsible for repair and upkeep of the
electrical systems of the gas engines and auxilliary equipment on the ship.
Alvarez applies the
lessons he learned from Bloomfield to his
work in the Navy.
“My dad told me that it doesn't matter what you've been
tasked to do, give 100% and be the best at what you've been assigned to do,”
said Alvarez. “If you find a way to make something better go out of your way to do it.”
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 hope to meet engineers from other ships and see how
they run their engine rooms while at RIMPAC,” said Alvarez.
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.
“I have been able to earn
the trust and respect of all my superiors,” said Alvarez. “They trust me to lead my
junior sailors, so that is a big thing for me.”
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, Alvarez and other sailors
know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing
the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving has helped me understand that it is really
easy to see the small picture if you only see what you have to do,” said
Alvarez. “I’ve learned that I’m a part of
something bigger and can do my part to improve our national defense system.”