PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Seaman Derick Sisson, a native of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, serves aboard USS Somerset, 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.
Sisson graduated from Lawrence County High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawrenceburg.
“When I joined the Navy, I realized that the determination I learned growing up would help me have a successful career,” said Sisson.
Sisson joined the Navy two years ago. Sisson has been selected to serve as a damage controlman.
“I joined the Navy to explore the world,” said Sisson. “So far I have been to seven countries, but Thailand has been my favorite. Getting to experience that culture was amazing.”
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jerome Fjeld |
Sisson graduated from Lawrence County High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawrenceburg.
“When I joined the Navy, I realized that the determination I learned growing up would help me have a successful career,” said Sisson.
Sisson joined the Navy two years ago. Sisson has been selected to serve as a damage controlman.
“I joined the Navy to explore the world,” said Sisson. “So far I have been to seven countries, but Thailand has been my favorite. Getting to experience that culture was amazing.”
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.
Sisson plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been an amazing experience,” said Sisson. “Getting to meet many new people from around the world is so great. You come to realize quickly that we are not really that different from each other.”
Sisson 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 a lot to me,” said Sisson. “Going to other countries and helping those in need is something I have always loved doing and with the Navy, I get to do that even more.”
Sisson is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my entire family for supporting me during my Navy career, especially during deployment,” added Sisson. “I couldn’t be here serving without them. I want to give a special thanks to my wife, Morgan, who sacrifices so much to support me.”
Sisson is looking forward to the next step in their naval career.
“I will be a damage controlman third class by the end of our deployment,” said Sisson. “After spending two years as an undesignated sailor, I’m happy to finally have a rating and do the job I most want to do.”
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/