Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
PEARL HARBOR – A 2017 South Point Christian School graduate and Chesterfield, South Carolina, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
A Navy ship's serviceman is responsible for the ship's morale as well as maintaining the ship’s service machines and shops.
Powell applies the lessons he learned from Chesterfield to his work in the Navy.
“My dad was a lieutenant colonial in the Air Force so I learned a lot from him,” said Powell. “He taught me that not everything is free. You have to work for what you want. With hard work, something good will come out of it.”
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 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.
“The experience is the main thing I am looking forward to during this exercise,” said Powell. “I want to see people from other places in the world and experience the food from other countries.”
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 am proud I have learned the ability to take care of myself,” said Powell. “My life revolved around my parents, and I got everything from them but now I'm doing it myself.”
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, Powell and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Going back to what my dad says,” said Powell. “I earn what I need to get.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil