By
Navy Office of Community Outreach
PEARL HARBOR – A 2005 Sam Rayburn High School graduate and
Pasadena, Texas 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 Priscilla Goodall is a yeoman aboard
USS William P. Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
A Navy yeoman is responsible for all the correspondence and personnel
paperwork and awards.
“This is a great way to wrap up a successful deployment,”
said Goodall, who is excited to return home to her children.
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.
“We are wrapping up a deployment. We’ve conducted exercises with many foreign navies and this pulls it all together. This is a capstone event for our 7th Fleet deployment,” said Cmdr. Walter C. Mainor the Commanding Officer aboard USS William P. Lawrence. “Our visit to Hawaii has been well-deserved rest and relaxation for our crew. Our most important asset is our sailors, and the job they do day in and day out is so important. The average age onboard is 25 and the expectations we have for them are so great. They just continue to exceed them.”
“I love that we are aboard a smaller ship and everybody
knows each other," said Goodall. "It makes deployment
much easier because we are like a second family."
Challenging living conditions build strong fellowship among
the crew, Goodall explained. The crew is highly motivated, and quickly adapt to
changing conditions. It is a busy life of specialized work, watches, and
drills.
“Since joining the Navy, I've learned to be optimistic and that anything is
possible,” said Goodall.
Additional information about Rim of the Pacific Exercise is
available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/