Long Beach Native
Participates in World’s Largest International Maritime Warfare Exercise
By Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication
Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2017 Woodrow
Wilson High School graduate and Long Beach, 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 3rd Class Aaron
Vallecillo is an operations specialist aboard
USS Lake Champlain, currently operating out of San Diego, California.
A Navy operations specialist
is responsible for standing watch in the ship's combat information center, the
tactical nerve center of the ship.
Vallecillo is looking forward
to applying the lessons learned from Long Beach to working in the Navy.
“I learned how to be very
patient growing up and that patience pays off
in the Navy,” said Vallecillo.
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 looking forward to
getting to know the cultures of the different nations, and seeing the different sites in Hawaii,” said Vallecillo.
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 to have been able to advance to petty officer third class at the age of only nineteen,” said Vallecillo.
"There's sometimes a lot of pressure and the expectations are a lot higher for me now, but I know I can live up
to them."
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,
Vallecillo and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last
beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“The Navy has taught me how
to interact with all different types of people
with different backgrounds. I can definitely
work better now with others than I could
before the Navy,” said Vallecillo. “Serving in
the Navy means I'm making a huge commitment both for
myself and to my country. The Navy also gives
me so many opportunities to better myself."