Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
PEARL HARBOR – A 1997 Carman-Ainsworth High School graduate and San Diego 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 Jennifer Hooks is a Navy counselor aboard USS Dewey, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy counselor is responsible for the professional development and a human resources aspect for all the sailors in the command.
Hooks applies the lessons she learned from San Diego to her work in the Navy.
“I have that sense of adventure still from my hometown,” said Hooks. “It gave me the ability to want to seek out opportunities and different areas to be located as well as a willingness to have fun while doing my job.”
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.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for a lot of ships to be in port from the states and other countries,” said Hooks. “We can meet our brothers and sisters as well as sailors from other countries. And we can have fun on a tropical island.”
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 am proud of my ability to continue my career,” said Hooks. “I was a boatswain's mate for the first 13 years and was able to transition to a career that is more in line with my personality while being able to help other sailors.”
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, Hooks 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 is a good opportunity for me to step outside myself and leave my hometown to serve my country and do bigger and better things,” said Hooks.
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil