Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2009 East Lake High School graduate and Chula Vista, California, 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 Maria Bemowski is a hull maintenance technician aboard USS O'Kane, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A Navy hull maintenance technician is responsible for maintaining ship habitability equipment.
Bemowski is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from Chula Vista to working in the Navy.
“Growing up, I got to meet a lot of different people, and being able to make those connections helps tremendously in life and in the Navy,” said Bemowski. "Especially during RIMPAC, you get to make a lot of good relationships with people who can help you in the long run.”
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 most looking forward to building relationships with sailors from partner nations,” said Bemowski.
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 of being able to help my junior sailors achieve their goals,” said Bemowski. "Being able to impact their careers is very rewarding for me."
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, Bemowski 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 that I can be ambitious, and humble at the same time,” said Bemowski. “Serving in the Navy means I'm able to give back to my country.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil