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 2016 Merced High School graduate and Merced, California 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 Fernando Terrazas is an electricians mate aboard USS Lake Erie, currently operating out of San Diego.
A Navy electrician’s mate is responsible for conducting maintenance on all electronics systems onboard the ship.
Terrazas applies the lessons he learned from Merced to his work in the Navy.
“The work ethic and values my father instilled in me at a young age have helped me out a lot,” said Terrazas.
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 getting to know Hawaii better and seeing the attractions while I’m here for RIMPAC,” said Terrazas.
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.
“My proudest Navy achievement is progressing in rank,” said Terrazas.
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, Terrazas and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving is a very big sense of pride knowing I'm defending the freedom of my family back home,” said Terrazas.