PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Seaman Apprentice Kaitlin Sanchez, a native of Los Angeles, 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 2nd Class Isaiah Williams |
Sanchez graduated from Huntington Park High School in 2017.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Los Angeles.
“My hometown taught me to not take criticism personally,” said Sanchez. "Criticism isn't always negative; it can show growth. During my last year of high school, I observed people taking things too seriously, it helped me remember that critics don't pay the bills."
Sanchez joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Sanchez serves as a retail services specialist.
“I joined the Navy to make my family proud, expand my knowledge, and explore the world,” said Sanchez. "Everyone around me was living paycheck to paycheck, and I wanted to pursue something different."
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.
Sanchez plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role during RIMPAC includes ensuring the squadron has their energy drinks and making sure everyone has refreshments,” said Sanchez. "My impression of RIMPAC is that it's fascinating to engage with personnel from different countries, discussing their experiences and sharing stories while out in town."
Sanchez serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving has allowed me to grow personally by learning from others' experiences. It has shown me that the world is bigger than I originally thought,” said Sanchez. "It is an honor to serve. Everyone I have met has shaped me into a new person."
Sanchez is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mother. She has been my biggest supporter since I considered joining.,” added Sanchez. "Additionally, I would like to thank my daughter; without her in my life, I wouldn’t have pursued joining. I would also like to thank Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Cisneros for pushing me to join and reassuring all my doubts about joining."
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 Los Angeles.
“My hometown taught me to not take criticism personally,” said Sanchez. "Criticism isn't always negative; it can show growth. During my last year of high school, I observed people taking things too seriously, it helped me remember that critics don't pay the bills."
Sanchez joined the Navy one year ago. Today, Sanchez serves as a retail services specialist.
“I joined the Navy to make my family proud, expand my knowledge, and explore the world,” said Sanchez. "Everyone around me was living paycheck to paycheck, and I wanted to pursue something different."
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.
Sanchez plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role during RIMPAC includes ensuring the squadron has their energy drinks and making sure everyone has refreshments,” said Sanchez. "My impression of RIMPAC is that it's fascinating to engage with personnel from different countries, discussing their experiences and sharing stories while out in town."
Sanchez serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving has allowed me to grow personally by learning from others' experiences. It has shown me that the world is bigger than I originally thought,” said Sanchez. "It is an honor to serve. Everyone I have met has shaped me into a new person."
Sanchez is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mother. She has been my biggest supporter since I considered joining.,” added Sanchez. "Additionally, I would like to thank my daughter; without her in my life, I wouldn’t have pursued joining. I would also like to thank Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Cisneros for pushing me to join and reassuring all my doubts about joining."
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/