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 2005 Seaside High School graduate and Seaside, 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).
Petty Officer 3rd Class Martenia Wommack is a gas turbine systems technician aboard USS William P. Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A Navy gas turbine systems technician is responsible for maintaining and the upkeep of the gas turbine engines and auxillary equipment.
Wommack is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from Seaside to working in the Navy.
“I learned the value of time management and initiative, that's helped me in the Navy,” said Wommack.
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 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 seeing all of the different ships from the participating nations,” said Wommack. "I'm also looking forward to seeing our ship operate at it's maximum capacity."
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 being able to earn my enlisted surface warfare specialist pin within eight months of being on board,” said Wommack.
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, Wommack 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 how to adapt my mindset to different situations,” said Wommack. "The Navy has helped me understand the mission and the purpose behind it. That's helped me stay grounded. Serving in the Navy gives me a sense of pride and camaraderie, because we are a very select group that's responsible with defending the country.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil