PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Ensign Jermaine Wells, a native of Lawton, Oklahoma, serves aboard USS Gridley, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Everett, Washington, and participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
Wells graduated from Eisenhower High School in 2011.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawton.
“My hometown taught me that you can’t wait for others to make decisions for you; you have to take initiative and act for yourself,” said Wells. “My parents taught me that people can inspire you to become what you want to be. You have to take what your parents, teachers and mentors teach you and use it to become the person you aspire to be.”
Wells joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Wells serves as a surface warfare officer.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to kickstart my career and embark on a new chapter in my life,” said Wells. “I also joined the Navy because I’ve always been drawn to water. Coming from Oklahoma, I had never seen the ocean before. I will never move to a landlocked state again.”
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.
Wells plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role as the gunnery officer on the ship during RIMPAC involves overseeing all weapon systems, conducting live shoots and ensuring effective targeting,” said Wells. “RIMPAC has been great. You get to see the cohesion between different navies. Participating in all the sporting events and engaging in joint exercises has been fulfilling.”
Wells 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 get to be a representative for my country,” said Wells. “I am able to support our national interests, such as democracy and free trade around the world.”
Wells is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank everybody, but specifically my wife, Bisa Wells,” added Wells. “My wife has been my rock and support system for everything.”
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/
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaiah Williams |
Wells graduated from Eisenhower High School in 2011.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Lawton.
“My hometown taught me that you can’t wait for others to make decisions for you; you have to take initiative and act for yourself,” said Wells. “My parents taught me that people can inspire you to become what you want to be. You have to take what your parents, teachers and mentors teach you and use it to become the person you aspire to be.”
Wells joined the Navy 12 years ago. Today, Wells serves as a surface warfare officer.
“I joined the Navy because I wanted to kickstart my career and embark on a new chapter in my life,” said Wells. “I also joined the Navy because I’ve always been drawn to water. Coming from Oklahoma, I had never seen the ocean before. I will never move to a landlocked state again.”
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.
Wells plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role as the gunnery officer on the ship during RIMPAC involves overseeing all weapon systems, conducting live shoots and ensuring effective targeting,” said Wells. “RIMPAC has been great. You get to see the cohesion between different navies. Participating in all the sporting events and engaging in joint exercises has been fulfilling.”
Wells 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 get to be a representative for my country,” said Wells. “I am able to support our national interests, such as democracy and free trade around the world.”
Wells is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank everybody, but specifically my wife, Bisa Wells,” added Wells. “My wife has been my rock and support system for everything.”
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/