Mobile 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 1998 Murphy
High School graduate and Mobile, Alabama 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).
Chief Petty Officer William
Farmer is a culinary specialist aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently operating
out of San Diego, California.
He
is responsible for supervising a division of sailors who provide over
9000 meals a day for the ship's crew as well as maintaining the ship's mess decks.
Farmer is looking forward to
applying the lessons learned from Mobile to working in the Navy.
“My dad always taught me to
work hard and to not expect things to be given to me,”
said Farmer. “I've applied that to my Navy
career.”
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 going
underway again,” said Farmer. "This will be my first time in five years going underway, so I'm glad to be
back to sea."
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.
“My proudest moment in the Navy is seeing my sailors
advance,” said Farmer. "I've mentored a lot of sailors and it makes me feel good
to see them achieve their goals."
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,
Farmer and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond
their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I've learned to have a lot
of patience since I've been in the Navy. Also, everyone
is different, so I’ve learned to treat everyone the
same way,” said Farmer. “Serving in the
Navy means everything to me. It's about serving everyone back home, my family, my country as
a whole. Also, the Navy has been a great way
to build a future for myself."