By
Navy Office of Community Outreach
PEARL HARBOR – A 2003 Enumclaw High School graduate and
Enumclaw, Washington native is serving in the U.S. Navy and is participating in
the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, the Rim of the
Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Riley is a mass communication specialist aboard USS America, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii.
A Navy mass communication specialist is
responsible for photojournalism and graphic design aboard the ship.
“I'm in charge of production,” said Riley. “All of the products the ship releases come through
me; photos, videos, graphics and stories.”
According to Navy officials, RIMPAC provides a unique
training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative
relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security
on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that
began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2016 is "Capable, Adaptive,
Partners," Navy officials explained. 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.
The Department of the Navy's Great Green Fleet yearlong
initiative will also play a major role in RIMPAC. The initiative highlights
global operations using energy conservation measures and alternative fuel
blends to demonstrate how optimizing energy use increases resiliency and
operational readiness. During RIMPAC, almost all participating units will
operate using an approved alternate-fuel blend.
26 nations, 45 surface ships, 5 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, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, People's Republic of
China, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“I’ve been particularly excited about this opportunity. We’ve just come out of a lengthy period of maintenance,” said Capt. Michael W. Baze, Commanding Officer of USS America. “Our sailors knew this was coming and that it is a unique experience to exercise our abilities while building our connections with allies. RIMPAC gives us the opportunity to strengthen our bond with these navies in addition to sending a message to the world about our collective strength. Our crew is mostly under the age of 30 and something like this offers a tremendous opportunity for them.”
“I like serving on the ship named after our country," said Riley. "It's an
honor to be a plank owner for this ship. A plank owner is an individual who was a
member of the crew of a ship at the time that ship was placed in commission."
Challenging living conditions build strong fellowship among
the crew, Riley explained. The crew is highly motivated, and quickly adapt to
changing conditions. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches, and
drills.
“I love all the opportunities the Navy has given me,” said
Riley. “I don’t know where I would be
today if I hadn't joined.”
Additional information about Rim of the Pacific Exercise is
available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/