Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2010 Brushton-Moira High School graduate and Moira, New York, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Petty Officer 1st Class George Martin is an information systems technician aboard USS O'Kane, currently operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.A Navy information systems technician is responsible for ensuring that critical circuits and links remain active for the ship to communicate with other ships throughout the Pacific.
Martin is looking forward to applying the lessons learned from Moira to working in the Navy.
“I had a never-quit attitude growing up,” said Martin. "Attitude is everything, and going into the Navy with the right mindset and attitude can ensure success."
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,” according to Navy officials. 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.
“I'm looking forward to seeing how all the other ships will work together,” said Martin. "We were on an independent deployment, so being integrated into the larger exercise is exciting 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.
This year will also feature live firing of a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a U.S. Air Force aircraft, surface to ship missiles by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from a launcher on the back of a Palletized Load System (PLS) by the U.S. Army. This marks the first time a land based unit will participate in the live fire event during RIMPAC. RIMPAC 2018 will also include international band engagements and highlight fleet innovation during an Innovation Fair.
“I'm most proud of having both my Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist and Information Warfare Specialist pins,” said Martin. "Being able to pass on that knowledge to my junior sailors, and watching them grow, is really encouraging to me."
Twenty-six nations, 46 surface ships, five 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, Brazil, 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, Martin and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I've learned how to work with a very diverse group of people,” said Martin. "Leading a diverse group of people and seeing them adapt to you while you adapt to them in order to achieve a mission has been very rewarding.”
Serving in the Navy means being able to serve my country,” said Martin. “Every day I wake up thinking, 'could I be doing anything that would make me more proud than I am right now?,' and being in the Navy gives me that pride every day."
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil