Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2007 Natick High School graduate and Natick, Massachusetts, 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 Matthew Kenney is an engineman aboard USS Carl Vinson, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy engineman is responsible for the maintenance and operation of emergency diesel generators. The generators provide emergency power to the ship to control the nuclear reactors in the event of a reactor casualty.
Kenney applies the lessons he learned from Natick to his work in the Navy.
“It's about the people, the sailors,” said Kenney. “At the end of the day, it's the people that truly matter and what different aspects each person brings to the table.”
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 cherish the opportunity to help my sailors progress and help them grow professionally,” said Kenney.
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.
“My most memorable Navy experience was taking a landing craft that was essentially inoperable and making it operational again in 48 hours to provide humanitarian relief in the Philippines,” said Kenney.
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, Kenney 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 I really like helping people, especially my junior sailors," said Kenney. "I'm proud to be a part of an organization that takes people from all walks of life and helps to set them up for success.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil