Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2016 Truckee High School graduate and Truckee, 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).
Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony-Jon Moretti is a machinist's mate nuclear aboard USS Carl Vinson, currently operating out of San Diego. A Navy machinist's mate nuclear is responsible for making sure there is steam for the ship's propulsion and providing the capability for the jets to be launched off the carriers.
Moretti applies the lessons he learned from Truckee to his work in the Navy.
“I learned to always have a positive attitude,” said Moretti. “Always stick to finishing the 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.
“I hope to meet with the other nations and see what their ships are like,” said Moretti. “I would like to be able to mingle with them as much as possible.”
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 to have qualified in the nuclear program,” said Moretti. “It is a very hard program to get into.”
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, Moretti and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I am able to tolerate a lot more things than before the Navy,” said Moretti. “I have learned to work better with different people and to stay focused on what is most important for the mission.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil