By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2015 New Bedford High School graduate and New Bedford, Massachusetts, 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 Alex Carr is a gunner's mate aboard USS Preble, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A Navy gunner's mate is responsible for maintaining the weapons systems onboard, from small arms to the ship's five-inch mounted gun. They're also responsible for making sure the crew is qualified in small arms weapons training.
Carr is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from New Bedford to working in the Navy.
“I learned the value of being the best person I can be, because it's impossible to please everyone,” said Carr. "That's helped me in the Navy."
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 working with the participating nations and seeing the different training environments here at RIMPAC,” said Carr.
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 most proud of earning Blue Jacket of the Quarter for the first quarter this year,” said Carr. "I competed against all the other blue jackets on the ship, and I was voted by the chief's mess as the best one on the ship for that quarter."
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, Carr 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 that I don't need to depend on others as much as I thought I had,” said Carr. "I can be self-sufficient, while still being there for my sailors. Also, serving in the Navy is an honor to me, because I get to carry on my family's tradition of military service. I also get to provide a better future for myself."