PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 2nd Class Christos Zacaj, a native of Bloomfield, New Jersey, serves aboard USS William P. Lawrence, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Bloomfield.
“My hometown taught me how to be humble, hard-working, focused and appreciative,” said Zacaj. "I've learned that being in the U.S. Navy offers many more opportunities than some other countries. Coming from Athens, where unemployment is very high, I have become very appreciative of what I have."
Zacaj joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Zacaj serves as an operations specialist.
“I joined the Navy to start a career in a stable line of work,” said Zacaj. "I would also like to become a Nurse Corps officer. I've always wanted to do nursing, but I couldn't afford to get through college without incurring debt even with working at a restaurant, so I joined the Navy."
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.
Zacaj plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role in RIMPAC is to assist with navigation and communication onboard. I ensure the ship's safe passage and provide backup to the bridge and surface radars,” said Zacaj. "RIMPAC is great because you get to connect with other nations. The underway exercise is an opportunity for us and our NATO allies to work together, explore each other's cultures, and learn how they operate."
Zacaj 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 is an absolute honor and blessing,” said Zacaj. "It allows me to give back to the country that has given me opportunities to further my education, build a family and retire."
Zacaj is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank Vladimir Sokoli and Lumjen Shyti," added Zacaj. "These people helped me when I moved to America by myself. They became the family that I never had, giving me a job and a place to live. I would also like to thank Lt. Cmdr. Bill Burke, Lt. Bryan Dombroski and Lt .Erin Torrez, who have all assisted and inspired me to become a better person. They serve as role models for the type of officer I eventually want to become."
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/
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaiah Williams |
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Bloomfield.
“My hometown taught me how to be humble, hard-working, focused and appreciative,” said Zacaj. "I've learned that being in the U.S. Navy offers many more opportunities than some other countries. Coming from Athens, where unemployment is very high, I have become very appreciative of what I have."
Zacaj joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Zacaj serves as an operations specialist.
“I joined the Navy to start a career in a stable line of work,” said Zacaj. "I would also like to become a Nurse Corps officer. I've always wanted to do nursing, but I couldn't afford to get through college without incurring debt even with working at a restaurant, so I joined the Navy."
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.
Zacaj plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role in RIMPAC is to assist with navigation and communication onboard. I ensure the ship's safe passage and provide backup to the bridge and surface radars,” said Zacaj. "RIMPAC is great because you get to connect with other nations. The underway exercise is an opportunity for us and our NATO allies to work together, explore each other's cultures, and learn how they operate."
Zacaj 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 is an absolute honor and blessing,” said Zacaj. "It allows me to give back to the country that has given me opportunities to further my education, build a family and retire."
Zacaj is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank Vladimir Sokoli and Lumjen Shyti," added Zacaj. "These people helped me when I moved to America by myself. They became the family that I never had, giving me a job and a place to live. I would also like to thank Lt. Cmdr. Bill Burke, Lt. Bryan Dombroski and Lt .Erin Torrez, who have all assisted and inspired me to become a better person. They serve as role models for the type of officer I eventually want to become."
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/