PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Aguirre, a native of Chino, 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 |
Aguirre graduated from Don Antonio Lugo High School in 2019.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Chino.
“Chino taught me you have to stand your ground and fight for what you believe in,” said Aguirre. "You have to have courage and you can never give up. The same is true of serving in the Navy."
Aguirre joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Aguirre serves as a culinary specialist.
“I joined the Navy because of something my grandfather, Salvador Sanchez, said to me,” said Aguirre. "He was an immigrant from Mexico and he served for more than 30 years and always took care of his family. He challenged me to do the same and more."
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.
Aguirre plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been a lot of fun and I'm proud to be a part of it,” said Aguirre. "I work in supply damage control, so I will be doing maintenance all over the ship during the exercise."
Aguirre 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 am part of something bigger than myself,” said Aguirre. "I'm not just here for me, but for my family, especially my wife and six-month-old son, Kalel"
Aguirre is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“The person I want to thank most is my wife, Kaytt Ramirez,” added Aguirre. "She is my biggest supporter and without her, I would not be where I am today."
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/