Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2004 Cash Creek High School graduate and Vacaville, 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).
A Navy logistics specialist is responsible for receiving important equipment for the ship.
Garza applies the lessons he learned from Vacaville to his work in the Navy.
“My dad worked a lot, and I did not understand that until I started working at a young age,” said Garza. “I understand it now though. It is hard being away from home but it’s for the best.”
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 am looking forward to learning different customs and new experiences,” said Garza. “I hope to meet people from other countries.”
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 going through security training, which I enjoy,” said Garza. “I want to be a police officer after the Navy. I also learned to drive a forklift and grove crane. I’ve learned a lot in the logistics field.”
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, Garza and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“I have never been away from my family for this long,” said Garza. “There are a lot of obstacles. There are times when you just can't quit, but you always stay motivated.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil