JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM – A 2003 Dr. Phillips High School graduate and Orlando, Florida, native served in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Dobson is a submarine warfare officer and knows a thing or two about submarines. He previously served five years on active duty spending much of his time on the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758). During RIMPAC, he served in the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) as a watchstander, filling a role similar to what air traffic control would be for air operations, but for submarines.
Regarding his time on Asheville, Dobson said, “I remember being on the boat and talking through communications to our counterparts on shore. One of those shore-based watchstanders is the theater anti-submarine watch officer; that’s what I do now as a Reservist. I come to these exercises and I stand that communications-based watch.”
There are five submarines participating -- three from the United States, one from Republic of Korea and one from Australia. Each submarine depends on watchstanders like Dobson.
“I help guide the submarines and provide them with their tasking so they can execute their mission,” Dobson said.
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, including anti-submarine and air defense exercises.
“I get to be a part of the operation and see a bigger picture,” Dobson said. “Not just on what one ship is doing, but what all of them are doing, and how they are coordinated to accomplish whatever the mission might be, which for us is anti-submarine warfare.”
Twenty-five nations, 46 surface ships, five submarines, 18 land forces, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial RIMPAC exercise scheduled June 27 to Aug. 2.
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 the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity designed to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's interconnected oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
For more information about RIMPAC, visit http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac