PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Senior Chief Petty Officer Edwin Falcis, a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, serves aboard USS Fitzgerald, 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 2nd Class Jerome Fjeld |
Falcis graduated from St. Peter's Preparatory School in 2000.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Jersey City.
“I learned how to be around people of diverse cultures which is vital in the Navy,” said Falcis.
Falcis joined the Navy 21 years ago. Today, Falcis serves as a fire controlman (AEGIS).
“I joined the Navy out of a sense of patriotism,” said Falcis. "I wanted to fight the war on terrorism."
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.
Falcis plays an important role in the exercise.
“My function during RIMPAC is to make sure we sink the USS Tarawa in a sinking exercise,” said Falcis. "I think Hawaii is the perfect place to meet with the other countries because it is a diverse place itself. I've met some foreign sailors and it's great that we can communicate in our universal Navy language."
Falcis 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 developed the skill of being resilient and I’ve learned how to deal with stress in tough times,” said Falcis. "I also learned a lot about what motivates people."
Falcis is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents, Anna and Joe, and my sister Wil,” added Falcis. "They have served as my support system and have always given me a home when I' away from the Navy."
“I'm looking forward to a peaceful retirement a year from now,” said Falcis."I plan on spending time with my family in Virginia."
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/