Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 1999 Temecula Valley High School graduate and Temecula, California, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Chief Petty Officer Maria Beck is a fire controlman attached to Commander, Carrier Strike Group One, currently operating out of San Diego.Fire Controlmen provide weapon direction systems employment recommendations; perform organizational and intermediate maintenance on digital computer equipment, subsystems, and systems.
Beck applies the lessons she learned from Temecula to her work in the Navy.
“My dad was prior military,” said Beck. “When you get to a ship, it's your family. No matter how junior your sailors are, when you get to a position you have the opportunity to make a change and make it better. Be the kind of leader you want to emulate. My dad always said it is unfair to ask of others what you don't want to do yourself. It is about respect.”
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'll be working with the Carl Vinson so I can see their side of things and how the other navies function," said Beck. "So, I can see how everything comes together from different angles.”
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 love watching my sailors accomplish things,” said Beck. “Having sailors contact me to say they're being frocked and being able to be there for them is special to me. You have to know what is your footprint and legacy. Knowing sailors take the time to contact me and let me know of their accomplishments is my greatest achievement.”
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, Beck and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I learned that I was naïve with a lot of things in the world,” said Beck. “But, serving in the Navy means a lot. I am honoring those that have gone before me. Serving means tradition and looking after one another. We are setting up our future.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil