Dallas Native
Participates in World’s Largest International Maritime Warfare Exercise
By Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class David Wyscaver, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
PEARL HARBOR – A 2015 Vicenza Italy High School graduate and Dallas, Texas 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 3rd Class
Sierra Burden is a personnel specialist aboard
USS Lake Erie, currently operating out of San Diego.
A Navy personnel specialist is responsible for checking in sailors
when they arrive onboard and assisting sailors transitioning to their new duty
station once they leave the ship.
Burden applies the lessons
she learned from Dallas to her work in the Navy.
“Always be flexible because
sometimes things happen last minute so you need to be
prepared,” said Burden.
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
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
interacting with the other nations here and meeting new people,” said Burden.
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’m most proud of being awarded sailor of the quarter
for the command within just three months of checking onboard,” said Burden.
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,
Burden and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond
their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I’m proud I get to protect
my country while traveling all around the world and gaining
an education,” said Burden.