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, 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."