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 2015 Bishop
Machebeuf High School graduate and Denver, Colorado 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 2nd Class
Robert Costin is an operations specialist aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently
operating out of San Diego, California.
A Navy operations specialist
is responsible for operating radar, navigation, and
communicaton equipment in the combat information center on the ship.
Costin applies the lessons he
learned from Denver to his work in the Navy.
“I have changed a lot since joining the moving from home
and joining the Navy,” said Costin. “I am proud that I am able to take
care of myself.”
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 am looking forward to
being in Hawaii,” said Costin. “It is the whole experience of seeing other
countries perform and how they operate.”
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 am most proud of finishing two deployments back to
back,” said Costin.
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,
Costin and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond
their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving
in the Navy is totally different than anything I
have ever done,” said Costin. “You have to change somewhat and adapt in order
to do it.”