Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2011 Skyview High School graduate and Nampa, Idaho, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Fullbright is an electronics technician aboard USS John P. Murtha, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy electronics technician is responsible for maintaining and operating the ship's radars and handheld radios.
Fullbright applies the lessons he learned from Nampa to his work in the Navy.
“I've learned that it's important to seek opportunities instead of waiting for them to just come to me,” said Fullbright.
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'm really excited to work with other countries,” said Fullbright. “I think it's really important to strengthen the relationships with our allies.”
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 became a training school instructor for other electronics technicians,” said Fullbright. “I found it very rewarding to help set others up for success.”
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, Fullbright and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“To me joining the Navy, it’s a career I can be proud of, supporting something bigger than myself,” said Fullbright.
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil