PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 3rd Class Gahelid Campo, a native of Houston, Texas, 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 |
Campo graduated from Shadow Creek High School in 2020.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Houston.
“My hometown taught me how to stay disciplined and keep striving for my goals,” said Campo. "Sports in high school helped me with fitness and discipline. My family and church community were very supportive, which helped me stay focused and strive for success."
Campo joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Campo serves as a logistics specialist.
“I joined the Navy to experience the world,” said Campo. "I also felt called to serve my country."
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.
Campo plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role during RIMPAC is to support the air wing and aviation logistics,” said Campo. "I think it's an interesting experience. It's nice to see people from different countries unite under one mission's banner."
Campo 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 requires resilience and the ability to adapt quickly to changes while still achieving success,” said Campo. "My Navy service has taught me a lot, helping me better understand myself."
Campo is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank God, whose guidance and support have been evident in every aspect of my life. Keeping faith in His will has always been my guiding light,” added Campo. "I would also like to thank my brothers Kelvin and Irving for their encouragement to keep moving forward and reminding me to stay rooted. Additionally, my close cousin Wilber has been very supportive, loving, and encouraging. Lastly, my husband, Evandor, has been patient, passionate, and understanding, he is my rock."
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 Houston.
“My hometown taught me how to stay disciplined and keep striving for my goals,” said Campo. "Sports in high school helped me with fitness and discipline. My family and church community were very supportive, which helped me stay focused and strive for success."
Campo joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Campo serves as a logistics specialist.
“I joined the Navy to experience the world,” said Campo. "I also felt called to serve my country."
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.
Campo plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role during RIMPAC is to support the air wing and aviation logistics,” said Campo. "I think it's an interesting experience. It's nice to see people from different countries unite under one mission's banner."
Campo 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 requires resilience and the ability to adapt quickly to changes while still achieving success,” said Campo. "My Navy service has taught me a lot, helping me better understand myself."
Campo is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank God, whose guidance and support have been evident in every aspect of my life. Keeping faith in His will has always been my guiding light,” added Campo. "I would also like to thank my brothers Kelvin and Irving for their encouragement to keep moving forward and reminding me to stay rooted. Additionally, my close cousin Wilber has been very supportive, loving, and encouraging. Lastly, my husband, Evandor, has been patient, passionate, and understanding, he is my rock."
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/