Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 1999 Whitney Point High School graduate and Lisle, New York, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 1st Class Sarah Connell is a hospital corpsman attached to Electronic Attack Squadron 136, currently operating out of Whidbey Island, Washington.Connell is a corpsman for the squadron responsible for nine junior personnel as the leading petty officer in the medical department for Carrier Air Wing Two.
Connell applies the lessons she learned from Lisle to her work in the Navy.
“I've had a few good mentors that have helped set me up for success,” said Connell. “Advice, guidance, and direction all helped me grow professionally.”
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.
“I would really like to tour all of the islands in a helicopter,” said Connell. “I think that would be amazing and beautiful.”
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'm most proud of seeing my junior sailors get promoted as well as advancing in their careers,” said Connell.
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, Connell and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“The Navy has taught me that I'm a lot stronger than I give myself credit for,” said Connell. “By overcoming obstacles, I've grown as a person both personally and professionally.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil