PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 2nd Class Raydolf Reed, III, a native of Carson, California, serves aboard USS Carl Vinson, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California, 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 3rd Class Marissa Johnson |
Reed graduated from Redlands East Valley High School in 2018.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Carson.
“The most important lesson I learned growing up in Carson is that your upbringing and people around you can't control the outcome of who you are and who you will become,” said Reed.
Reed joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Reed serves as an aviation ordnanceman.
“I was given an ultimatum by my mother when I was 16 to either go to college, join the military, or get out of the house after high school,” said Reed. "I chose the military route and the Navy because my mom said no to the Marines."
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.
Reed plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC is giving everyone in the United States the chance to show why we are the best of the best,” said Reed.
Reed 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 I have the unique opportunity to help other people,” said Reed. "The most honorable thing we do is protect people who can't protect themselves and we do it on a global scale."
Reed is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my godfather, Ronald Morrison, who was a Navy veteran, for inspiring me to serve,” added Reed. "I also want to thank my stepfather, Michael Whitehead, and my grandfather, Walter Fuller, who are both Army veterans. Most of all I want to thank my parents, Carol Whitehead and Raydolf Reed, Jr., for always supporting me and believing in me."
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/
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Carson.
“The most important lesson I learned growing up in Carson is that your upbringing and people around you can't control the outcome of who you are and who you will become,” said Reed.
Reed joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Reed serves as an aviation ordnanceman.
“I was given an ultimatum by my mother when I was 16 to either go to college, join the military, or get out of the house after high school,” said Reed. "I chose the military route and the Navy because my mom said no to the Marines."
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.
Reed plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC is giving everyone in the United States the chance to show why we are the best of the best,” said Reed.
Reed 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 I have the unique opportunity to help other people,” said Reed. "The most honorable thing we do is protect people who can't protect themselves and we do it on a global scale."
Reed is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my godfather, Ronald Morrison, who was a Navy veteran, for inspiring me to serve,” added Reed. "I also want to thank my stepfather, Michael Whitehead, and my grandfather, Walter Fuller, who are both Army veterans. Most of all I want to thank my parents, Carol Whitehead and Raydolf Reed, Jr., for always supporting me and believing in me."
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/