Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
PEARL HARBOR – A 2014 Early Middle College at GTCC graduate and Greensboro, North Carolina, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Seaman Natori Anderson is a ship's serviceman aboard USS Dewey, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy ship's serviceman is responsible for working in the retail store, handling, accounting and the barbershop.
Anderson applies the lessons she learned from Greensboro to her work in the Navy.
“My parents taught me a lot,” said Anderson. “Having respect for my elders and remembering your place is important. This has kept me out of trouble.”
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 get my surface warfare qualification pin by participating in the exercises,” said Anderson. “That is my main goal.”
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 proud that I’ve learned to work under pressure,” said Anderson. “Things change a lot so I have learned to be flexible.”
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, Anderson 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 means being able to help others who cannot help themselves,” said Anderson.
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil