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 2010 San Ysidro High School graduate and San Diego, California 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).
Seaman Anthony Vallejo is a culinary specialist aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently operating out of San Diego, California.
A Navy culinary specialist is responsible for providing food services for the ship's crew as well as maintaining the mess decks on the ship.
Vallejo is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from San Diego to working in the Navy.
“I learned the importance of responsibility and being respectful to others, which has helped me in the Navy,” said Vallejo.
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.
“This is my first RIMPAC, so I'm looking forward to seeing us complete our tasks and missions smoothly, and showing what we can do as a Navy” said Vallejo.
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 very proud to have been able to own my own house, which I wouldn't have been able to do without the Navy,” said Vallejo.
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, Vallejo 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’m stronger than I thought since being in the Navy. We have to be away from family for awhile, but both meslef and my family are stronger for it,” said Vallejo. “Serving in the Navy gives me a lot of pride. We're a select group of Americans that get the chance to protect the country."