Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
PEARL HARBOR – A 2017 Fern Creek High School graduate and Louisville, Kentucky, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Fireman Sebastiao Lopes is a machinist's mate aboard USS Dewey, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy machinist's mate is responsible for the repair and maintenance for air conditioning, osmosis and other equipment as well as steering the ship.
Lopes applies the lessons he learned from Louisville to his work in the Navy.
“I was in ROTC for four years, and that helped me a lot with discipline and understanding how the military works,” said Lopes.
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 hope to see new countries, meet new people and get some qualifications done before returning to San Diego,” said Lopes. “The experience is enough for me.”
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.
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, Lopes and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy for me is pride,” said Lopes. “I am following in the footsteps of my uncle, grandfather, and cousin who all served in the Navy.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil