PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Ensign Ema Waring, a native of Azle, Texas, serves aboard USS Gridley, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Everett, Washington, and participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaiah Williams |
Waring graduated from Azle High School in 2019. Additionally, Waring earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Texas in Austin in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Azle.
“I learned early on how important it was to have a good leader and advisor,” said Waring. “This has helped tremendously as I now am one of three leaders of 15 sailors in my division.”
Waring joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Waring serves as the combat electronics officer.
“I joined the Navy after taking a class in naval science in college and after that, I joined the ROTC,” said Waring. “I enjoyed learning about life as a sailor and thought engineering and combat systems were interesting.”
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in RIMPAC 2024. This exercise 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 2024 marks the 29th exercise in a series that began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.” 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.
Waring plays an important role in the exercise.
“I love RIMPAC because I’m getting to meet people from foreign navies,” said Waring. “Taking tours of their ships and seeing the differences in their priorities.”
Waring serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means giving back to the communities that raised me and making sure our country is protected,” said Waring. “With everything going on in the world today, having a good defense is important to protecting our freedoms.”
Waring is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my high school advisor, Chad Cooke, who was instrumental in shaping me as a leader,” added Waring. “I also want to thank my parents, Lance and Gabriela, for supporting me in my career, even though it takes me far from home. That long-distance support wherever I am in the world means so much.”
Waring plans to continue their education and has set goals for their career.
“I’m hoping to go to warfare tactical instructor school and eventually earn a master’s degree in global affairs,” said Waring. “I plan on serving 20 years and then retiring to Washington, D.C.”
Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2024 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. John Wade, who will serve as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as vice commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of Canada, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise Desjardins of Australia, who will command the air component.
During RIMPAC, a network of capable, adaptive partners train and operate together in order to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2024 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.
More information about RIMPAC is available here: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC/