By Mass Communication
Specialist 1st Class Electa Berassa, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication
Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2005 Wilbur
L. Cross High School graduate and New Haven, Connecticut 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 2nd Class Julio
VargasKercado is a gunner's mate aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently operating
out of San Diego, California.
A Navy gunner's mate is
responsible for the training and safe operations
of weapons aboard the ship.
VargasKercado applies the
lessons he learned from New Haven to his work in the Navy.
“My mom taught me that you have to hard work in order to get to the
places you want to go,” said VargasKercado.
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 working with other navies and trying to build that
camaraderie with our allies,” said
VargasKercado. “It will be interesting to see how the
other navies work as well.”
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’m proud to have started as an E-1 and now being a second class petty officer is definitely an accomplishment for me,” said VargasKercado. “Also, I’m proud to have mastered
my craft.”
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,
VargasKercado and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last
beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy means answering the call of duty and being able to give back to the country that has given so much to myself
and my family,” said VargasKercado. “I’m also proud
to be able to provide for my family.”