Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward
PEARL HARBOR – A 2017 Rider High School graduate and Wichita Falls, Texas, native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Airman Nikolas Williams is an aviation ordnanceman aboard USS Carl Vinson, currently operating out of San Diego.A Navy aviation ordnanceman is responsible for performing authorized maintenance on airborne weapons, aircraft guns, and targets.
Williams applies the lessons learned from Wichita Falls to working in the Navy.
“I learned the importance of family while growing up,” said Williams. “Family in the Navy is everything. We are always there for each other.”
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'm looking forward to meeting people from different countries,” said Williams. “It will be cool to see how all of these countries work together because we have to work as a team to find our weaknesses.”
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’m proud that I am following in my dad’s footsteps,” said Williams. “I’m the sixth generation serving in the military and it makes me proud to keep that tradition going.”
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, Williams and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“While serving in the Navy I learned that I am more vocal and I am turning into a good leader,” said Williams. “The Navy is pushing me out of my comfort zone. Serving in the Navy means I can step up and it’s a great responsibility.”
Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil